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BRILLIANT & WARFIELD SUBSTATIONS - January 2003 Virelec’s role in FortisBC’s 230kV project in British Columbia In 2002 FortisBC initiated one of the largest projects in the 106-year history of the company – previously known as West Kootenay Power and Aquila Networks Canada – to replace the ageing transmission system serving the BC Interior region. Their contractor, Comstock, selected Virelec to supply a total of thirty protection and control panels for the two new 230/63kV terminal stations at Brilliant and Warfield. Comstock extended Virelec’s scope of supply to include the site testing and commissioning services for the panels. The customer selected Schweitzer relays for the protection functions, including the advanced SEL421 for the 230kV lines, SEL387 for transformer differential protection, and SEL311L for 69kV line protection. A combination of the GE D200 RTU and SEL2030 communications processors were used to extract data from the relays and transmit it to the SCADA system. The NxtPhase Tesla 2000 system was included to provide digital fault recording at both terminal substations. Virelec undertook the detailed design for schematic, wiring and panel layout drawings, as well as the logic diagrams for the relays.	Virelec also created the setting and logic files before loading them into the relays, a process which has become particularly demanding considering how much information has to be configured before the relays can effectively be commissioned. The processing power of modern relays allows much of the panel wiring to be replaced by internal logic, but requires the relay setting process to be implemented earlier in the design process. Virelec is effectively building up a library of logic applications, which accelerates the design process and differentiates the company from standard panel wiring companies. Virelec delivered the panels in December 2002 and January 2003, before starting the commissioning process in April. The station was energised in July, and the first 230kV and 63kV lines put into service in September 2003. Virelec was also awarded the contract to supply thirty more panels for the second stage of the project at four substations, Upper and Lower Bonnington, South Slocan and Corra Lin. The system is due to carry full load by the end of 2004, providing a secure power grid to support regional growth and increased power efficiency and reliability for Interior BC customers.

BRILLIANT & WARFIELD SUBSTATIONS - January 2003
Virelec’s role in FortisBC’s 230kV project in British Columbia

In 2002 FortisBC initiated one of the largest projects in the 106-year history of the company – previously known as West Kootenay Power and Aquila Networks Canada – to replace the ageing transmission system serving the BC Interior region. Their contractor, Comstock, selected Virelec to supply a total of thirty protection and control panels for the two new 230/63kV terminal stations at Brilliant and Warfield. Comstock extended Virelec’s scope of supply to include the site testing and commissioning services for the panels.

The customer selected Schweitzer relays for the protection functions, including the advanced SEL421 for the 230kV lines, SEL387 for transformer differential protection, and SEL311L for 69kV line protection. A combination of the GE D200 RTU and SEL2030 communications processors were used to extract data from the relays and transmit it to the SCADA system. The NxtPhase Tesla 2000 system was included to provide digital fault recording at both terminal substations.

Virelec undertook the detailed design for schematic, wiring and panel layout drawings, as well as the logic diagrams for the relays.

Virelec also created the setting and logic files before loading them into the relays, a process which has become particularly demanding considering how much information has to be configured before the relays can effectively be commissioned.

The processing power of modern relays allows much of the panel wiring to be replaced by internal logic, but requires the relay setting process to be implemented earlier in the design process. Virelec is effectively building up a library of logic applications, which accelerates the design process and differentiates the company from standard panel wiring companies.

Virelec delivered the panels in December 2002 and January 2003, before starting the commissioning process in April. The station was energised in July, and the first 230kV and 63kV lines put into service in September 2003.

Virelec was also awarded the contract to supply thirty more panels for the second stage of the project at four substations, Upper and Lower Bonnington, South Slocan and Corra Lin. The system is due to carry full load by the end of 2004, providing a secure power grid to support regional growth and increased power efficiency and reliability for Interior BC customers.