Waterfront – Washington DC, US

Waterfront is an advanced new 230-kilovolt (kV) electricity substation supporting existing customers and planned development in the Capitol Riverfront and Southwest Waterfront areas of Washington, DC. As well as supporting planned development in the U.S. capital, it replaces aging infrastructure and enhances transmission network reliability and efficiency for existing customers of Pepco, an Exelon company and public utility supplying energy to the capital and surrounding communities in Maryland.

Linxon (former ABB) provided full engineering and project execution for the Waterfront substation project, in which environmental conditions were key and included special focus on detailed city architectural requirements. Installation began at the end of 2015 and was completed on schedule in two years. Matching the substation’s architectural features with the design of adjacent buildings helps it to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscaping and environment.

Key to project execution has been the engagement of diverse or minority-owned businesses, which had the opportunity to provide subcontracted materials or services. Linxon exceeded the client’s target in this area, so that a significant part of the total contract value was directly spent on minority classified companies.

The Waterfront substation accommodates ABB gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and about 300 m (1,000 ft.) of gas-insulated buses (GIB), along other high- and medium-voltage products, such as power transformers, breakers, capacitor banks, inductors and surge arresters. The substation also contains cutting-edge communication and control technology, including SCADA, SF₆ gas density monitoring system and other Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) for substation protection and control. About 1,860 m² (20,000 ft²) of photovoltaic panels were installed on the substation roof to ensure a supply of green energy for substation electrical services.

Provisions were also made to ensure clear access for the installation of future equipment (e.g. power transformers, phase shifters, and shunt reactors). Linxon provided design & civil and structural construction services for site work, foundations, and erection of the building.