The Åland link transmits electricity between mainland Finland and the archipelago, which lies between the Finnish west coast and Swedish east coast. The link will allow integration of renewable energy sources, delivering clean power to 28,000 inhabitants.
With the black-start feature, restoration time can be reduced to fractions of a second under operational conditions. The system performs an intelligent and controlled injection of electricity into the grid to quickly re-energise the system. As demonstrated in the Åland simulation, even when the link is not in active operation, the black-start system can restore power in under five minutes, many times faster than with traditional technology. It also replaces local auxiliary power supply needs like diesel generators, and eliminates the use of costly and carbon dioxide emitting fossil fuels.
Patrick Fragman, head of ABB’s Grid Systems business, said: “The link will deliver clean energy and enhance security of power supply to the inhabitants and we are grateful to the community for their support in conducting the real-time simulation.”
