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COLLOQUIA SC B3
THE SUBSTATION DESIGN PROCESS
AN OVER VIEW
This report was presented at the CIGRE B3 Colloquium
in Venezuela (22-23 October 2001)
Preferential Subject 1
B Y G A R Y E N G M A N N , PA U L F L E T C H E R , L U I G I G I A N U Z Z I , B . N K I S H O R E , J I R I K U N T ,
ERIC LEBOULANGER, JORGE ROIG, ANNE-MARIE SAHAZIZIAN.
1. Summary
This paper provides an overview of
the process by which a substation is estab-
lished. It considers the system require-
ments, site selection, and community
acceptance.
The attached figure shows the various
stages necessary in the establishment of
a new substation. It gives a typical exam-
ple where a «step by step» approach to the
planning and design process is considered.
However, in practice iterative actions may
often be involved.
This process is described in greater
detail in a CIGRE Technical Brochure [1].
2. System require-
ments
2.1 Technical Parameters
The design of a substation depends on
the functions it has to fulfil, these are
defined by system planners
Technical parameters are established
in consultation with asset managers, sys-
tem operators and system users transmis-
sion departments. They are defined by
means of system studies and economic
considerations. Economic benefits may
be derived from specifying the technical
requirements to allow the use of stan-
dardised HV equipment with identical
46 E L E C T R A N°210 - Octobre 2003
characteristics (such as short-time current
level, maximum current carrying capac-
ity, characteristics of transformers, insu-
lation level and compensating devices).
The location of a substation at a par-
ticular site will give rise to specific system
requirements, some will however be stan-
dardised within the network of the Util-
ity. Examples of system requirements are
general location requirement, extent of
the substation, required availability of
circuits, busbar schemes, current rating,
fault current levels, neutral point earth-
ing, fault clearance time with respect to
system stability, future extensions, con-
trol and needs of personnel and equip-
ment characteristics.
2.2 Busbar Scheme
The selection of a busbar scheme and
its possible extensions for a particular sub-
station is an important initial step of the
design. Among the matters that affect this
decision are operational flexibility, system
safety, reliability and availability, ability to
facilitate system control and costs.
3. Design procedure
The starting point for the substation
design procedure is as follows :
➤ The need for a new substation has
been identified.
➤ The system requirements (includ-
ing performance requirements).have been
defined.
Given this information a suitable site
can be selected for the substation consid-
ering the following:
3.1 Site selection
For the location of a new substation
in the network, several alternatives often
exist. The total costs of each option
should be calculated. The cost of build-
ing new transmission lines and the rein-
forcement of existing circuits are often in
the same order as that of the substation.
It is thus worth examining various alter-
natives with system planners to limit
transmission line costs.
The choice of a site for a substation
is a compromise between technical, eco-
nomic, environmental and administrative
factors.
The area available for the substation,
the number of outgoing feeders of differ-
ent voltage levels, the number of main
transformers, the busbar schemes and the
possibility of extension as well as com-
pensating equipment options should take
into consideration future needs and life
expectancy of the substation.
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The first step is to locate possible sites,
which are as level as possible, with enough
available area, at reasonable costs, with
easy access, within the general location and
without important restrictions on line cor-
ridors, where the substation can be erected
with minimum environmental impacts. It
is advantageous to locate sites near to exist-
ing line corridors or even at crossing
points. Sometimes such places simply do
not exist and the choice will be confined
to places that have only some of the above
characteristics.
Once the possible sites have been
located, an analysis is then made for all the
technical and environmental aspects of
each one, including costs, potential envi-
ronmental impacts and the preventive or
corrective measures that can be taken to
avoid or reduce them. It is also worthwhile
to assess the community acceptance of
project.
This analysis then furnishes the cri-
teria for deciding on the most suitable sub-
station site, bearing in mind the degree
of feasibility and the project cost of each
alternative. If no suitable site is found, the
process may be reinitiated with another
general area.
3.2 Environmental Aspects
The possible impacts on the natural or
social environment should be considered,
such as:
➤ Land : The site should be chosen
such that the need for earth movement
and spoil disposal are minimised.
➤ Water : The site should be chosen
so as to avoid any damage to the natural
drainage network, especially to permanent
surface watercourses.
➤ Vegetation : Where possible the
substation should be sited in low-produc-
tivity farming areas or uncultivated land,
avoiding areas in which the existing plant
formations have a high ecological or eco-
nomic value.
48 E L E C T R A N°210 - Octobre 2003
C O N T I N U E D
➤ Protected areas : The site should be the choice of a substation layout. Diffi-
chosen so as to avoid any areas or spots culties in the establishment of line corri-
listed as protected areas due to the impor- dors may be overcome by the use of multi-
tance of their plant or animal communi- circuit pylons or, in extreme cases,
ties or their cultural heritage. changing from overhead line to under-
ground cables.
➤ Community Planning : The local
town planning policy needs to be taken ➤ Pollution : The risk of failure and the
into account when siting the substation to equipment maintenance costs will gener-
avoid urban areas, development land or ally increase with the pollution level. Such
land held in reserve for possible future risks are however minimised with GIS.
development. Landscaping may be cov-
ered by local regulations and should be
considered in detail.
4. Implementation
Other environmental considerations
to be taken into account in the design, such Having selected the site location, the
as aesthetics, noise, oil leakage /spills, waste design and construction process would
management, etc., are described in [2]. broadly follow the steps shown in Fig1.
Recent trends in Utilities have been
towards sourcing design and construction
3.3 Technical Aspects of substations through competitive bid-
ding processes to ensure capital efficien-
Technical aspects to be considered in cies and labour productivity.
the site selection process include:
➤ Topography : The area of the sub-
station site should preferably be flat but
not prone to flood or water stagnation. 5. References
➤ Geological characteristics : The soil [1] General guidelines for the Design
must allow the construction of roads and of Outdoor AC Substations: CIGRE
foundations. A low value of soil resistivity Brochure 161, Aug 2000.
is desirable to facilitate earthing system [2] Sahazizian, A.M., Kertesz, T.,
design. The seismic characteristics of the Boehme, H., Roehsler, H., Elovaara, J.,
area should also be considered. Blackbourn, R., Stachon, J., Aoshima, Y.,
Fletcher, P. On behalf of WG 23.11: Envi-
➤ Access : The most difficult equip- ronmental aspects in Substations; CIGRE
ment, as far as access is concerned, are 1998; 23-201. ■
power transformers and large reactors, the
other equipment being of shape compat-
ible with any common transportation net-
work. The transport procedure must be
checked both ways (to and from substa-
tion site) and measures taken to maintain
it during the substation lifetime. Access of
operators and maintenance teams must
also be considered.
➤ Line entries : Line corridors have
great influence on the geographical ori-
entation of the substation and may impose