ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has signed a $20-million contract with the operator of Albania’s electricity transmission network for a system that will improve the reliability of the grid by monitoring and controlling high-voltage transmission.

ABB will deliver a Network Manager system that enhances stability by making it easier to preserve the balance between generation and consumption. The project for Operatori Sistemit Trasmetimit will also align Albania’s network with European standards and facilitate power trading with nearby countries. The project is scheduled to be completed within three years.

“Reliable power supply is essential to support economic growth”, said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. “ABB is the market leader in network management and our technology will strengthen Albania’s grid and facilitate energy flows between the country, Eastern Europe and Greece.”

ABB’s Network Manager SCADA/EMS (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System) will enable the transmission system operator to regulate the network from a single control room in the capital Tirana. ABB will also supply the communication system to collect and distribute data from more than 50 power plants and substations using about 400 kilometers of high-capacity optical fiber, including all necessary substation adaptations.

Armed with data collected from around the network, the operator can perform network modeling and simulate power outages to devise the safest and most efficient way of operating the network. Network management enables immediate action to be taken to restore power if outages occur, and allows load shedding in a systematic manner to avoid grid collapse and complete blackout. ABB has more than 500 Network Management installations worldwide.