C3-101

IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FOR SWITCHGEAR

APPLICATIONS OF HIGH VOLTAGE SUBSTATIONS

F. LECLERC

VA TECH Transmission & Distribution SA

(France)

Taking the environment into account in electrical installations is a growing major concern of
electricity companies and their industrial customers, especially considering the pressure exerted by
public opinion and relayed by political decision-makers. These new requirements represent a new
approach for manufacturers, especially if they use them as a means to develop new, more competitive
products, and open up a channel of communication with the markets. There are now concepts,
standards and technical tools available to support this environmental approach. A concrete case of
taking environmental aspects into account will be presented within the framework of the development
of a new GIS range. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out, on both former and new 245 kV
GIS, in order to quantify the results of combining the different impact reduction strategies. The values
of the impact indicators were in general reduced 20 % to 25 %, and even of almost 60 % for the
contribution to greenhouse effect. The interpretation of the results also shows that it is while the
switchgear is being used that it has the highest impact on the environment compared with the
manufacture or transport phase. This justifies the effort undertaken to cut down on energy
consumption and loss of SF6 during the switchgear’s life duration.
The environmental design will be able to also involve modifications on the level of the market.
Relations between customers and high-voltage switchgear suppliers were for a long time based on
detailed technical specifications. Then progressively these relations focused on functional
specifications. Environmental concerns will be increasingly apparent in functional specifications.
Quantified information of the environmental performances of the product results from carrying out
standardised life cycle assessment and formats of environmental declarations defined by the ISO
standards. Generic environmental declarations allowing comparisons between types of products seem
most suitable. Indeed, the standard similarity between products in the same way involves minor
differences in environmental performances. Specific declarations - rather than to allow a relevant
communication - would be likely to generate a "background noise" diverting the market. On the other
hand, generic declarations make it possible to position the different generic types of switchgear and to
make decisions concerning of the public policies of high-voltage electricity supply system and
substations more favourable to the environment.

KEYWORDS: Switchgear - High-voltage - Environment - Eco design - Life cycle assessment

 C3-102

Electrical Power Supply using SF6 Technology – an Ecological Life Cycle

Assessment

C. Neumann * A. Baur A. Büscher

RWE Transportnetz Strom EnBW Regional AG, Stuttgart Alstom, Regensburg
Dortmund
A. Luxa, F. Plöger A. Reimüller, B. Zahn A. Schnettler, T. Smolka
Siemens, Berlin, Erlangen ABB; Ratingen, Mannheim Aachen University (RWTH)

I. Mersiowsky M. Pittroff
Solvay Management Support, Hannover Solvay Fluor & Derivate, Hannover

Germany

Summary
The following contribution deals with an ecological life-cycle assessment for different HV and MV power
supply systems using various switchgear technologies. The study arises from the conflict between the well
known advantages of SF6 technology enabling a reliable and economical power supply and the possible disad-
vantage due to the material-based greenhouse potential of SF6. The aim of the study is to replace the one-sided
consideration of the material-based greenhouse potential of SF6 by an analysis of all relevant environmental
criteria when dealing with SF6 switchgear technology in the power supply system.
For this, different types of switchgear with and without SF6 technology at the level of switchgear bays and
of a realistic power supply network are studied. The impact categories are the environmental criteria greenhouse
potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), nutrification potential (NP). Additionally the primary energy con-
sumption and the space required are covered, too. On the bay level the use of HV SF6 switchgear technology
provides a reduction of primary energy consumed and of the contribution to AP and NP compared to conven-
tional switchgear technology. Despite the high material-based GWP of SF6 there is a moderate increase in the
contribution to the greenhouse effect. If the utilisation in terms of service current can be increased or the rate of
SF6 losses be reduced, a net decrease in the impact on this criterion will be obtained. On the system level the use
of SF6 technology results in a reduction of all parameters mentioned before in comparison to the conventional
switchgear technology. The reduction is mainly due to a decrease in transmission losses (nearly 90%). On this
level SF6 losses contribute to the GWP to less than 10%. The reduced environmental impact is mainly due to the
fact that the application of SF6 switchgear technology permits optimised network con figuration thus decreasing
the network losses.
With MV SF6 switchgear technology the ecological advantages are less pronounced as with HV
switchgear. On the system level the reduction in ecological impact by use of SF6 switchgear technology is less
dominant as with HV switchgear, since the grid topology is only slightly affected by the various switchgear
technologies. On the subsystem level covering a characteristic amount of switchgear – circuit-breaker switchgear
bays and RMUs – a reduction in GWP is obtained using SF6 technology mainly due to smaller ohmic losses of
the more compact SF6 switchgear assemblies. Furthermore, the SF6 leakage rate is very small, normally <0,1%,
thus the SF6 losses contribute distinctly less to the GWP as in HV switchgear.
The influence of maintenance expenditure on the GWP can be neglected compared to SF6 losses, power
losses and material expenditure. However, additional SF6 losses caused during maintenance have a strong
impact. In case of additional losses of 15% related to the gas volume installed due to inadequate gas handling the
GWP value will be duplicated. This demonstrates the necessity of a Re-Use concept for the complete life cycle
of the equipment.

Keywords
Gas-insulated metal-enclosed switchgear (GIS), life cycle assessment (LCA), global warming potential (GWP)

*
[email protected]
 C3-103

Electric Restructuring and Environment

Taishi Sugiyama∗
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry

(Japan)

ABSTRACT

There may be adverse environmental impacts caused by on-going de-regulation of electric

sector in Japan. A challenge to de-regulation policy design is to address these concerns
through appropriate re-regulation. .

It is often believed by non-engineer that ‘small is clean’, i.e. small technology is cleaner than
large ones. However, as engineer understands as common sense, the truth is opposite. Large is
clean. The author conducted an empirical study that supports the notion in Japanese context.
The study revealed the following. First, large emission sources are required to be compliance
with severer emission standard for flue gas than small ones by legal requirement. Second,
there are negotiated agreements, which require much less emissions than law, for large
emission sources only. Third, there are real-time monitoring systems equipped, again solely to
the large point sources. Such setup makes it virtually impossible to breach the emission
standard set by the laws and negotiated agreements. It is in stark contrast with medium and
small size emission sources where law enforcement is far from perfect. There are enforcement
deficits for small ones. Fourth, flue-gas treatment equipment for SOx and NOx are equipped
for the large point sources. As the consequence larger emission sources have much less air
pollutant emissions per unit production. Astonishingly, current large-scale power plants emit
3 to 4 digits lower pollutant emissions per unit production than medium to small size emission
sources.

Theoretically, against this backdrop, it is likely that a deregulation of electric generation

market could lead to deterioration of environmental quality, since deregulation is in general in
favor of small power facilities than large ones

While the logic is clear, it had not been an outstanding issue in countries that experienced
deregulation. It was because of two lucky coincidences for Europe and USA that were absent
in Japan. First, in most deregulation cases in Europe and USA, there had been over-capacity
and stagnated electric demand. Thus, additional power capacity was not required hence no
additional pollution. This situation made the above environmental concern irrelevant in most
cases. Japan also has over-capacity now, but it will disappear in some years. She will need

∗
Email: [email protected]
additional electric capacity in several years. Secondly, Europe and USA were, coincidentally,
in transition from coal to natural gas. As a natural consequence, what happened as the result
of deregulation was switching the fuel from coal to natural gas. This simply reduces
emissions. Such a transition is non-existent in Japan.

Still, there are evidences from California. Although the environmental impacts are not visible
yet, proliferation of diesel emission sources took place during electricity crisis in summer of
2000. The lesson is clear. Once you have system unreliability, many backup capacities -- most
are diesel -- will enter the market. It is not only costly because of double investments. They
will keep running even after the crisis, and they will be hard to monitor, control, and
emissions are dirty

A deregulation in Japanese context, if done poorly, may end up with many small scale boilers
and power generators in vicinity of cities, instead of large scale power plants that have been,
and are planned to be, located in remote area. It may deteriorate environmental pollution to
the cities and damages global climate through less energy efficiency. If Japan wants to
maintain urban environmental quality, re-regulation systems must be carefully designed to
minimize the adverse impacts. To keep system reliability is the key, and a administrative
innovation is necessary to control small distributed emission sources.

3
 C3-104

ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS INVOLVED IN

HYDROPOWER PROJECTS

Mírian Regini Nuti Marcia Feitosa Garcia

Anthropologist Geographer
The Environment Department
ELETROBRÁS, Brazil

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to show a social/environmental risk analysis that has been applied to one specific
case, the Belo Monte Hydropowerplant Project. The idea was to formulate criteria that classified the
risks in such a way as to prioritize them according to their potential to paralyze/cause
confrontation/lead to rejection with regard to the project. The risks were initially evaluated in a
qualitative and later in a quantitative manner so as to discover the probabilities of budget variation
for social/environmental measures.
 C3-105

EMISSION AND DISPERSION MODEL OF NOX FROM THERMAL POWER

PLANTS AS A TOOL OF INSERTION AND REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE OF AIR
QUALITY

SUMMARY
Jean Cesare Negri (*) – CESP and Silvio de Oliveira Junior – EPUSP

This paper intends to introduce a methodology to analyze the insertion of a Thermal Power Plant
(TPP) within a planning environmental phase from the viewpoint of air pollution impact, focusing the
regional ambiance.
The thermal expansion plan was not developed satisfactorily in Brazil due to the lack of adequate tools
of environmental diagnosis. In this way, the prediction methodology stated in this work is an
alternative to the monitoring conventional one, taking into account the international criteria to identify
and select a new site to settle a TPP; moreover, the experiences concerning the State of São Paulo are
considered too.
The emission of air pollutants from industrial, mobile (vehicular) and agricultural sources are
estimated on available data basis information and preliminary analysis of the region affected by the
TPP. This initial emission is called background pollution.
The source emission rates are calculated via emission factors while the air quality is obtained by using
a dispersion model. The impact of the new TPP is added to the model to evaluate the emission growth.
It is important to point out that the model was applied to analyze the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission
and dispersion, precursor of ozone synthesis.
The new TPP considers a global model of NOx formation related to gas turbines, instead of using the
single project emission rate of NOx. This model is based on predictive emission monitoring system
(PEMS) that is an alternative to the continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS).
In order to compare the results obtained from the predictive calculation, the model is applied to a
tested gas turbine (Siemens –model V84.2).
The synthesized predictive and dispersion models are applied in a case study that considers Paulínia
region in State of São Paulo.
The predictive and monitoring methods are complementary. The monitoring system data gives the
actual situation (“status quo”) and is the necessary information to calibrate and validate the predictive
method. Otherwise, the predictive method enlarges the analysis of planning scenarios in the trade off
between development and impact.

(*)
Av. Nossa Senhora do Sabará, 5312 – São Paulo – SP – Brazil – phone: +55-11-5612-6724
e-mail: [email protected]

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 C3-201

THE EGYPTIAN EXPERIENCE WITH SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT IN THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR
R. M. RADWAN* A. KHASHAB S. SOLIMAN

A. A. MOHSEN A. M. GAD
(Egypt)
SUMMARY
The ever-increasing demand of electrical energy for, industry, agriculture, and daily needs of
about 70 million consumers is a real challenge for the Egyptian Electrical Utilities.
The Government, the public sector, and the private sector are paying tremendous efforts to
reach the goal of sustainable development. To reach this goal some key issues concerning
energy and environment have been identified as of particular importance to support
sustainable development.
The Egyptian industry is growing at a high rate, to meet local demand and ambitious export
plans, with the consequence of a high demand of electrical energy. Agricultural loads are also
increasing specially in the coming few years due to the huge agriculture projects in Upper
Egypt. Added to these loads, other daily activities such as traction systems, air conditioning,
and other personnel demands are being supplied. All these loads should be accessible with a
high reliability and quality when and where needed. To fulfill these requirements the Egyptian
electricity sector has an ambitious program for installing new generating plants, updating
existing plants, and adopting up-to-date technologies in the Egyptian unified electrical
network.
The Egyptian power generating system constitutes thermal, hydraulic, and renewable energy
plants. The thermal power plants are up-dated to improve their fuel consumption. So fuel
consumption has moved from 223.5 grams/kWh for the year 2000/2001 to 220.7 grams/kWh
for the year 2001/2002. This increase of system thermal efficiency is being reflected on the
system economy and greenhouse gas emission which amounts to burning of 15200 thousand
tons of equivalent mazout for the year 2002/2003 with N.G. of 92%.
Renewable energy is going to be maximized in the near future. Wind farms are now installed
and working successfully in several sites of high wind speeds. Solar/thermal power plants are
being considered and positive steps are taken to install an 150 MW solar/thermal plant at the
north cost of Egypt. During sun-shine hours the plant will run mainly by solar heating and
during night it will operate by burning natural gas (N.G.). This will also reduce greenhouse
gas emission to a large extent. Direct solar heating is being adopted on a large scale for crops
drying. A huge program is running since more than 30 years to supply electricity all over the
country. This program has raised the standard of living and helped, to a great extent the goals of
sustainable development. With a broad base of engineers, technicians, and experts, technology transfer
programs are implemented in all electrical energy aspects. International and regional cooperation is in
progress since several decades. Now the Egyptian unified electrical network is interconnected from the
east with Jordan and, from the west with Libya. The final goal will be interconnection with Europe
from the east through Turkey and from the west through Morocco.

* ROSHDY RADWAN - FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – CAIRO UNIVERSITY –

Email:[email protected].

6
 C3-202

Assessment of the Electric and Magnetic field levels

in the vicinity of the HV overhead power lines in Belgium

J. Hoeffelman*, G. Decat, J-L. Lilien, A. Delaigle, B. Govaerts

Elia Vito University of Liège Catholic University of Louvain

(Belgium)

Summary
Maximum exposure levels in the vicinity of HV power lines are easy to compute on basis of
the design parameters. However, the very large number of existing layouts and load flow
diagrams makes it very difficult to analyse the behaviour of a whole network only by use of
models. Therefore, very few data are presently available concerning the actual levels, and
more particularly the long-term average exposure levels.
In order to quantitatively assess these levels in Belgium, a measurement campaign has been
performed in the whole country during the winter 2000-2001.
For this measurement campaign all the overhead transmission lines under the responsibility of
the Transmission System Operator have been taken into consideration. This concerns the sub-
networks with rated voltages 70, 150, 220 and 400 kV.
The survey was based on a representative sampling of several lines in each sub-network. For
each chosen line, measurements of the electric and magnetic fields have been performed (1)
under the line at mid span, (2) under the line near the towers and (3) at some distances from
the line, with the aim of assessing the rate of decrease.
In order to correlate the magnetic field strength to the current load, the latter was recorded
each time a selected line was sampled. Moreover, the power flows of these lines have been
recorded during one year at a sampling rate of 15 minutes. In this way we have been able to
average the exposure levels for long-term periods.
A statistical methodology has then been developed in order to derive some exposure
characteristics applicable to the whole network (long-term mean values, values not exceeded
during a given time…). The main idea behind this methodology was the derivation of a space-
time statistical distribution for the magnetic field on the basis of two statistical distributions
considered as independent: the distribution of the currents in the lines and the distribution of
the standardised fields, i.e. the quotient of the measured field by the value of the current in the
line during the measurement.
The results of these calculations, show, among other things, the important differences that
exist between maximum possible field levels, actual maximum levels and long term average
levels. They can also be used as possible base for setting up quality indices.
Finally they form an interesting data set for the validation of GIS-models and, hence, for the
assessment of the electric and magnetic field levels to which people might be exposed in the
vicinity of HV overhead power lines.

7
 C3-203

RTE’S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND PRACTICAL PROVISIONS REGARDING

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION GRID

François DESCHAMPS *, Didier NURDIN * , Claire FOUR.MENT **, Etienne SERRES*

Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE)

( FRANCE )

Abstract :
RTE, the French Transmission System Operator, highlights its environmental concern by an
official policy approved by the executive management of the company. It addresses the
environment in general, and thus, also takes into account social aspects. This commitment
focuses on four main items : protection of natural environments, public participation and
listening, R&D towards mitigation of the environmental impact, and last, continual
improvement, settled by an environmental management system ISO 14001 which covers all
activities of RTE.
This political commitment is followed up by a binding agreement with the French state. This
agreement is the third one and covers the years 2001 to 2003. It concerns all new transmission
projects. It includes, on the one hand, national objectives (related to the environmental policy
of RTE), and on the other hand, project related actions.
In this way, every transmission project is developed with a wide dialogue and listening at
regional and local level, what allow shared solutions in terms of routing, and guarantees, the
attention paid to environmental impacts. The second one is a “Project support Program”
which offers financial support to local development projects, in line with sustainable
development policy. The total refunding of such local initiatives goes up to 8 to 10 % of the
overall project cost. All these local projects are decided through public participation processes
with local authorities and associations.

National Network Expertise Centre 1

Department of Network Development and Optimisation 2
Cedex 48
92068 PARIS LA DEFENSE

8
 C3-204

Electric Power Supply and Global warming

Koichi Kitamura1, Satoshi Takase, Hiroyuki Yomori, Shintaro Yokokawa

/ The Kansai Electric Power Co.,Inc.
(Japan)

Abstract
Japan’s electric power industry is fully committed to global environmental issue in all it’s
activities, including power supply, transmission and distribution. This paper introduces
overall activities and practical measures undertaken by Japan’s electric power industry
against global warming, a problem closely related to the industry , and propose
sustainability of electric power supply.

There is currently considerable worldwide interest and concern in environmental issues such
as global warming, acid rain, desertification, and the destruction of the ozone layer. It is
essential that we seek a correct understanding of these problems and act as a crew of
aerospace ship, “the earth”. Environmental problems are closely linked to the way we utilize
energy for economic activities and in our daily lives. Energy demand tends to increase
continuously in proportion to economic and social development, and as contemporary
information-oriented society develops toward a higher level of sophistication and our
lifestyles become increasingly centered on amenities, the demand for electricity can be
expected to rise further.

Japan’s electric power industry seeks to achieve a well-balanced combination of energy

sources through the appropriate portion of nuclear power and LNG power generation, based
on a proper assessment of these power sources in terms of supply stability, economic
efficiency and environmental protection. At the same time, efforts are being made to
upgrade thermal efficiency in power plants and reduce energy loss in power transmission
and distribution systems. Japan’s electric power industry considers the CO2 issue to be of
paramount importance, and accordingly aims to achieve the following objectives in its
future activities:

a. Increased use of non-fossil energies; Nuclear, Natural energy etc.

b. Improved efficiency of facilities; Thermal power plant, Transmission & Distribution etc.
c. Energy conservation; Highly efficient heat pump system etc.
d. Load-leveling; Air conditioning system storing heat at night and using it during the day
etc.

Consequently, Japan’s electric power industry achieved lowest energy losses in the world
due to innovation of technology. Some experts estimate total CO2 emissions from
developing countries will be the same level as that from OECD countries in 2010, and will
exceed immediately. Therefore, it is very important to promote electrification in developing
countries to meet an expanding energy demand by transferring high efficient technology

1
E-Mail: [email protected]

9
such as transmission system so as to promote greenhouse gases emission reductions
worldwide

When we think of a "sustainable electricity supply", we had better introduce concept of time
axis. We believe it is possible to identify what we should do to realize sustainable electricity
supply in the short and middle(range) term, that is to say, today, by studying what is
sustainable electricity supply in the far distant future from the perspective of limited
resources. Consequently, the concept of a sustainable electricity supply will change as time
goes by. Moreover, countries today are at different levels of development and each has their
own time axis. In other words, it should be recognized that a sustainable electricity supply
will differ according to a country's stage of development. To fill in the gaps between these
time axes, it is important to enhance international cooperation and technology transfers to
developing countries.

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 C3-205

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF TRANSMISSION LINES

Ricardo C. Furtado* João D. Braga Cláudio N. Vilar

Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco - CHESF

(Brazil)

In Brazil, environmental actions associated to the construction and operation of utility

undertakings are being expanded due to the evolution of environmental legislation. The larger
the potential degradation of an undertaking, the higher the complexity of its environmental
actions. This involves the participation of experienced teams from the planning area through
to the operational stage in order to avoid environmental liabilities, which will influence
energy cost. The environmental management of these actions has a significant dimension in
the construction of transmission systems.

The construction of transmission lines requires the involvement of contractors that do not have environmental
management procedures or that adopt different ones. This raises the level of complexity of the environmental
management process. The multiple purposes of the environmental programmes and their actions - technical,
administrative and managerial - demand the construction of a specific co-ordination programme, the
implementation of which must be compatible with the undertaken timetable.

This article presents the process developed by CHESF, a Brazilian generation and
transmission power utility, for the introduction of environmental management programmes in
transmission undertakings.

These programmes manage the implementation of environmental actions and encompasses:

obtaining environmental licences, implementing the Environmental Basic Plan (EBP),
monitoring works, implementing operational actions and providing safety and health for
workers and other communities.

As a result of environmental management programmes, CHESF has reduced conflicts with communities affected
by the undertakings, reduced impediments and fines, achieved effective implementation of operational actions
established in the environmental studies, and obtained quick solutions for problems that normally arise during
construction processes.

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 C3-206

Analysis of Italian Electrical System Scenarios and the Challenge of Sustainability

A.Pigini•, C.Cavicchioli, P. Girardi, G. Scorsoni, V.Malfè

CESI GRTN
Milano-Italy Roma- Italy

Summary

Scenarios of Italian Electric system development, proposed by various stakeholders, are presented.
The scenarios show a large uncertainty especially in the long run: the actual trends will be strongly
influenced by economical, social and environmental issues.

The analysis of the scenarios is made easier if an evaluation/decision tool capable to represent the
different instances is available. In this frame a Decision Support System (DSS), named “SESAMO”,
which allows to assess the sustainability degree of electric scenarios by multi-criteria analysis, has
been developed. The analysis is made possible by different modules for the quantification of
environmental pressures, industrial costs, social impacts .
The evaluation is made by choosing a set of goals belonging to each dimension of sustainability.
For each goal a “utility function”, ranging between 0 and 1 has to be assigned. The Utility Function
represents the level of satisfaction reached for the examined parameter, according to agreed criteria.
Furthermore the relative importance of each theme/goal can be decided by giving different “weights”
to each one. The weighted sums of utility values gives the “sustainability score” of each scenario.
Thus alternative and conflicting scenarios can be evaluated according to a rational and agreed process.

Applications of the DSS to the 2020 year scenarios considered by GRTN for the EURELECTRIC –
EURPROG exercise, leading to an electricity demand of 500 TWh at the year 2020, are shown.
The supply side has been assessed by considering three generation paths. The BAU generation
scenario basically takes into account: the development of a large amount of gas fired combined cycle
plants. The first alternative -“high coal ”- explores the effects on the system of an Italian electricity
industry made more competitive on the market by using widely the coal. The second alternative -“low
wind ”- assumes the source contribution half of the expected one in the BAU scenario. The analysis
has shown that the BAU alternative is the most sustainable when the highest weight to environment is
given, while the first alternative (high coal) prevails if higher weights are given to economical and
social themes. The second alternative does not prevail with any weight choice, that means it is
“dominated”.

•
Responsible Author: A. Pigini- CESI- Via Rubattino 54 20134 Milano tel
+390221255799 email: [email protected]

12