Barcelona: Endesa preps port voltage for 2024 America’s Cup

Spanish electric utility Endesa has started work to expand electricity infrastructures in the Port of Barcelona to meet energy requirements, including operations for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup, which will take place in the Catalan capital from August 2024.

The agreement signed with the Port Authority of Barcelona (APB), which funds the investment of €600,000 ($641,286), stipulates that the company will reinforce the network in different bases in the enclosure, where the strategic points for the event will be located.

Endesa will deploy up to 300 metres of new low-voltage connections throughout the port to power new electrical panels that need to be assembled.

The utility will install new transformers, close electrical slip rings and remotely control a transformer centre, as well as replace indoor cells in others.

The work is hoped to strengthen the existing network, improve it technologically, expand it at strategic points and increase the installed power in the port by 3,900kW.

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Grid expansion

Through the investment, the following tech improvements will be made:

• In a digitalisation upgrade, a unit will be equipped with remotely controlled maneouvres. From Endesa’s Control Centre in Barcelona, the installation’s devices can be operated remotely without having to move equipment in the field in case of incidents, either their own or those arising from the action of external agents.
• The Control Centre receives information that enables the detection and isolation of defects that may occur in the network by using defect step detection elements. This saves time in locating faults, with a reduction of up to 20% in the interruption time of the electricity supply to customers who are supplied from these installations in case of incidents.
• Electrical slip rings will link two or more transformer centres that until now were isolated. In the event of an incident or the indisposition of one of the main lines, it will be possible for the customers affected to be served by alternative routes, so that power and customers recover more quickly. This is hoped to reduce recovery time and ensure that, in cases of scheduled work or maintenance of the network, no interruption of supply will be necessary.
• The technological refurbishment of the transformer centres involves replacing old cells with new ones that incorporate manoeuvering elements in a gas with specially insulating properties characteristics.
• This will reduce the need for maintenance, as it self-regenerates, unlike oil, which gradually decomposes. The watertight switchgear has a greater capacity to extinguish in case of an incident and is more resilient and safe for technical personnel when they need to access the installation to carry out maintenance and improvement work or to make some manoeuvre.

The upgrades will be coordinated across different areas that have been divided between those that are a priority – to be completed during March and April – and those that are not, which need to be completed during the third quarter of 2023.

Areas to be upgraded include an area for television crews, a welcome area, the Village and an area for the teams competing.