When a major wind turbine manufacturer placed an order for ABB’s PCS6000 converters for a project in the United States, ABB began the complex process of obtaining UL certification for the product. Certification by UL is mandatory for wind turbine converters delivered to the US market. One factor that complicated the issue was the lack of an applicable UL Standard for MV wind turbine converters.

“This was a first-of-its-kind project and new technology for the market, and there was no applicable UL Standard we could utilize,” says Mirko Bautz, Vice President of Global Accounts at UL. “We started by working with ABB to determine which UL Standard would be most relevant. We decided the best approach would be to apply an existing safety Standard, UL 6141. We worked closely with ABB throughout the certification process and brought it to a successful conclusion.”

Personnel from UL’s offices in Europe and from UL’s headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois, worked with ABB staff from the wind turbine converter engineering unit in Switzerland and the factory in Poland. The process included extensive component and design reviews, as well as type testing.

Low and medium voltage converters for all main markets

“UL certification for the PCS6000 converter, following collaboration to develop the new Standard, is great news for turbine OEMs and operators in North America,” says Chris Poynter, Managing Director of ABB System Drives. “They can take advantage of the simplicity and performance of medium voltage converter technology, and there is now a clear benchmark for safety, performance and grid connectivity for everyone.”

“We are the only manufacturer able to provide both medium and low voltage converters for wind turbines, and UL certification enables us to supply our entire range to customers in all the world’s main markets.”

ABB is the leading supplier of MV converters, and up to now the main focus has been on the European and Chinese markets. With UL certification there is great potential for sales of MV converters in North America.

Helping wind park operators to maintain profitability

Wind turbine power levels are currently increasing, especially offshore, because higher powers enable wind park operators to maintain profitability at a time when subsidies are declining. Medium voltage operation is a good fit with this trend because it provides a number of benefits at higher power levels.

The higher voltage level of MV converters means lower currents in the electrical drivetrain. As a result, smaller and less expensive cabling can be used. The converter has a more compact footprint and is lighter in weight. The PCS6000 converter also features high efficiency IGCT (integrated gate-commutated thyristor) technology, as well as an advanced control algorithm that optimizes the operation of the generator while minimizing losses in the generator windings. The converter’s low part count and fuseless design ensure high availability. These advantages help wind park operators to achieve a good return on their investment while getting the lowest LCOE (levelized cost of energy). The PCS6000 MV converter is already operating in the world’s highest power turbines.

In addition to UL certification, the PCS6000 has product certification from the China General Certification Center, CGC, and from DNV-GL. It meets grid code requirements in the United States, major European and several other countries.

More than 200 PCS6000 MV converters are operating in offshore wind parks in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and off the coasts of China. ABB’s deliveries of low voltage wind turbine converters total more than 15,000 units.

When a major wind turbine manufacturer placed an order for ABB’s PCS6000 converters for a project in the United States, ABB began the complex process of obtaining UL certification for the product. Certification by UL is mandatory for wind turbine converters delivered to the US market. One factor that complicated the issue was the lack of an applicable UL Standard for MV wind turbine converters.

“This was a first-of-its-kind project and new technology for the market, and there was no applicable UL Standard we could utilize,” says Mirko Bautz, Vice President of Global Accounts at UL. “We started by working with ABB to determine which UL Standard would be most relevant. We decided the best approach would be to apply an existing safety Standard, UL 6141. We worked closely with ABB throughout the certification process and brought it to a successful conclusion.”

Personnel from UL’s offices in Europe and from UL’s headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois, worked with ABB staff from the wind turbine converter engineering unit in Switzerland and the factory in Poland. The process included extensive component and design reviews, as well as type testing.

Low and medium voltage converters for all main markets

“UL certification for the PCS6000 converter, following collaboration to develop the new Standard, is great news for turbine OEMs and operators in North America,” says Chris Poynter, Managing Director of ABB System Drives. “They can take advantage of the simplicity and performance of medium voltage converter technology, and there is now a clear benchmark for safety, performance and grid connectivity for everyone.”

“We are the only manufacturer able to provide both medium and low voltage converters for wind turbines, and UL certification enables us to supply our entire range to customers in all the world’s main markets.”

ABB is the leading supplier of MV converters, and up to now the main focus has been on the European and Chinese markets. With UL certification there is great potential for sales of MV converters in North America.

Helping wind park operators to maintain profitability

Wind turbine power levels are currently increasing, especially offshore, because higher powers enable wind park operators to maintain profitability at a time when subsidies are declining. Medium voltage operation is a good fit with this trend because it provides a number of benefits at higher power levels.

The higher voltage level of MV converters means lower currents in the electrical drivetrain. As a result, smaller and less expensive cabling can be used. The converter has a more compact footprint and is lighter in weight. The PCS6000 converter also features high efficiency IGCT (integrated gate-commutated thyristor) technology, as well as an advanced control algorithm that optimizes the operation of the generator while minimizing losses in the generator windings. The converter’s low part count and fuseless design ensure high availability. These advantages help wind park operators to achieve a good return on their investment while getting the lowest LCOE (levelized cost of energy). The PCS6000 MV converter is already operating in the world’s highest power turbines. 

In addition to UL certification, the PCS6000 has product certification from the China General Certification Center, CGC, and from DNV-GL. It meets grid code requirements in the United States, major European and several other countries.

More than 200 PCS6000 MV converters are operating in offshore wind parks in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and off the coasts of China. ABB’s deliveries of low voltage wind turbine converters total more than 15,000 units.

When a major wind turbine manufacturer placed an order for ABB’s PCS6000 converters for a project in the United States, ABB began the complex process of obtaining UL certification for the product. Certification by UL is mandatory for wind turbine converters delivered to the US market. One factor that complicated the issue was the lack of an applicable UL Standard for MV wind turbine converters.

“This was a first-of-its-kind project and new technology for the market, and there was no applicable UL Standard we could utilize,” says Mirko Bautz, Vice President of Global Accounts at UL. “We started by working with ABB to determine which UL Standard would be most relevant. We decided the best approach would be to apply an existing safety Standard, UL 6141. We worked closely with ABB throughout the certification process and brought it to a successful conclusion.”

Personnel from UL’s offices in Europe and from UL’s headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois, worked with ABB staff from the wind turbine converter engineering unit in Switzerland and the factory in Poland. The process included extensive component and design reviews, as well as type testing.

Low and medium voltage converters for all main markets

“UL certification for the PCS6000 converter, following collaboration to develop the new Standard, is great news for turbine OEMs and operators in North America,” says Chris Poynter, Managing Director of ABB System Drives. “They can take advantage of the simplicity and performance of medium voltage converter technology, and there is now a clear benchmark for safety, performance and grid connectivity for everyone.”

“We are the only manufacturer able to provide both medium and low voltage converters for wind turbines, and UL certification enables us to supply our entire range to customers in all the world’s main markets.”

ABB is the leading supplier of MV converters, and up to now the main focus has been on the European and Chinese markets. With UL certification there is great potential for sales of MV converters in North America.

(1/3) Helene Ebach, Daniel Schmelzle, Frank Kinces, Jonas Wahlström, Alessandro Severino

Helping wind park operators to maintain profitability

Wind turbine power levels are currently increasing, especially offshore, because higher powers enable wind park operators to maintain profitability at a time when subsidies are declining. Medium voltage operation is a good fit with this trend because it provides a number of benefits at higher power levels.

The higher voltage level of MV converters means lower currents in the electrical drivetrain. As a result, smaller and less expensive cabling can be used. The converter has a more compact footprint and is lighter in weight. The PCS6000 converter also features high efficiency IGCT (integrated gate-commutated thyristor) technology, as well as an advanced control algorithm that optimizes the operation of the generator while minimizing losses in the generator windings. The converter’s low part count and fuseless design ensure high availability. These advantages help wind park operators to achieve a good return on their investment while getting the lowest LCOE (levelized cost of energy). The PCS6000 MV converter is already operating in the world’s highest power turbines. 

In addition to UL certification, the PCS6000 has product certification from the China General Certification Center, CGC, and from DNV-GL. It meets grid code requirements in the United States, major European and several other countries.

More than 200 PCS6000 MV converters are operating in offshore wind parks in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and off the coasts of China. ABB’s deliveries of low voltage wind turbine converters total more than 15,000 units.

The converters are ABB’s first major order under its Long-Term Supply Agreement (LTSA) with GE Renewable Energy. A total of 95 PCS6000 medium voltage converters will be installed in GE’s Haliade-X 13-megawatt (MW) wind turbines. Currently, the most powerful offshore wind turbines in the world, they are destined to produce 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of power in the first phase of the UK’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm.

ABB’s well-proven converters will play the vital role of taking the power produced by GE’s wind turbines and converting it to the right voltage and frequency for the wind farm grid. The converters are rated to handle the high-power output, with one rotation of each 220-meter diameter rotor generating enough electricity to last a UK household two-days.

ABB’s collaboration with GE began in 2017 and the companies have worked closely to optimize the PCS6000 converter for the Haliade-X platform. This included successful test operations on a turbine installed at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

“The selection of the right converter is critical to achieve the performance and reliability that yields the maximum return on investment. And medium voltage converters are the optimum choice for today’s high-power wind turbines,” said Chris Poynter, Division President for System Drives, ABB Motion. “We have worked closely with leaders in the wind industry to develop innovative technology to match the growing scale of offshore turbines. That is why we are extremely proud that our commitment and world-class solutions won the confidence of GE Renewables for Dogger Bank.”

ABB in Turgi, Switzerland is leading project engineering while the PCS6000 converters will be manufactured by ABB in Łódź, Poland. First delivery is scheduled for summer 2021 with completion in late 2022.

The PCS6000 has established a solid track record in offshore installations, and more than 250 units are operating in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and off the coasts of China. In addition, ABB has supplied over 15,000 low voltage converters to the wind industry.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm set to play key role in UK’s renewable energy strategy

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being developed in three phases as a 50:50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor. It is located more than 130 km from the North East coast of England. Each phase will have a capacity of up to 1.2 GW and represents a multi-billion-euro investment. The total power output of 3.6 GW will be capable of powering six million homes. The wind farm will make a significant contribution towards the UK government’s goals of sourcing up to a third of its electricity from offshore wind by 2030. When operational in 2026, Dogger Bank will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Global offshore wind capacity will surge to over 234 GW by 2030 from 29.1 GW at the end of 2019, led by exponential growth in the Asia-Pacific region and continued strong growth in Europe, according to the latest report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

For more information on wind converters.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.cxdcscontrol.com

ABB Motion keeps the world turning – while saving energy every day. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to enable the low-carbon future for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services our customers and partners achieve better performance, safety and reliability. We offer a combination of domain expertise and technology to deliver the optimum drive and motor solution for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Through our global presence we are always close to serve our customers. Building on over 130 years of cumulative experience in electric powertrains, we learn and improve every day.