ACCC® News - August 2023

Advanced Reconductoring Discussed During the 7th Meeting of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission

During the Seventh Meeting of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission, held on Sunday, Jul 16, 2023, FERC Chairman Willie Phillips asked Dr. Andrew Phillips of EPRI to discuss the benefits, challenges and opportunities of Advanced Conductors and other Grid Enhancing Technologies ('GETs').

Dr. Phillips pointed out the need to develop recommendations for utilities to evaluate Grid Enhancing Technologies during the planning stage and the need to create incentives for them to be deployed. Advanced Conductors – (included in the GET’s category by FERC Chairman Willie Phillips and others), are already being widely deployed to quickly and cost-effectively increase the efficiency, capacity, reliability and resilience of the power grid in the U.S. and many other countries worldwide.

During the discussions, Dr. Andrew Phillips of EPRI pointed out the need to develop standards for various grid enhancing technologies and Advanced Conductors. Fortunately, the most widely deployed Advanced Conductor, ACCC® Conductor, is manufactured to ASTM Standard B-987-20. This, and the experience gained at more than 1,100 projects in 65 countries has given many U.S. and international utilities tremendous confidence and a significant head start at helping them build a modern grid.

Link to video recording can be found here: https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/events/seventh-meeting-joint-federal-state-task-force-electric-transmission-07162023

Why Choose CTC Global:

Since 2003, CTC Global has focused on developing the world’s most advanced bare overhead conductors, ancillary components, and supplementary technologies to help our customers tackle their toughest T&D challenges. We are 100% focused on helping Utilities and Project Developers build the most efficient, reliable, and robust electric power grids to best serve their customers while helping minimize environmental impact and GHG emissions.

We are very fortunate to enjoy the continued support of more than 35 conductor and 11 hardware manufacturing partners to efficiently serve regional demand, with ACCC® Core supplied from any of our four ACCC® Core production and test facilities spread around the globe. The experience CTC Global has gained installing ACCC® Conductor at more than 1,100 projects in 65 countries – in every imaginable environmental condition – helps our team of over 85 ACCC® Master Installers do an outstanding job of ensuring the success of all of our customer’s ACCC® Installations.

CTC Global’s Application Engineering Team, Customer Fulfilment Staff, and Logistics Personnel do a remarkable job helping our customers select and receive the best overhead conductor solutions in the least amount of time at the lowest cost. CTC Global is, in fact, one of the largest non-aerospace consumers of high-quality carbon fiber in the world and the pricing and consistency of the materials we receive is top notch. CTC Global also maintains an ISO/IEC 17025 Certified Lab at our California headquarters that puts us far ahead of the growing list of competitors. While the ACCC® Conductor has often been copied, its quality and consistency has never been duplicated. If your project is important to you, it’s equally important to us. We are here when you need us and stand ready to help. If you have any questions or need immediate assistance, please email info@ctcglobal.com

Colombian Power Utility EPM Selects ACCC® Conductor for New Transmission Line

Empresas Publicas de Medellin S.A. E.S.P. (EPM) in Apartado, Antioquia, Colombia was faced with an urgent need to establish power delivery to the site of a new shipping port on the northern coast of Columbia at the Gulf of Uraba located at the southern tip of the Caribbean Sea. A section of the new 115 kV transmission line crosses over a highly productive banana plantation where Columbia’s Department of Civil Aeronautics had established stringent height limitations due to frequent crop duster plane activity.

EPM, supported by construction firm Ingeomega selected CTC Global’s high-capacity, low-sag Helsinki size ACCC® Conductor to minimize structure height and easement width requirements while maintaining safe clearances to underbuilt roads, distribution lines and vegetation.

To minimize environmental impact, EPM used steel monopoles placed in key locations with spans between the structures ranging from 360 meters up to 500 meters. This compact transmission design strategy allowed EPM to reduce easement width requirements by 35 percent which saved 32 square kilometers of land.

The use of ACCC® Conductor and strong collaboration between EDP’s asset managers, design engineers, project suppliers, project managers, landowners and EDP’s contractor led to an outstanding outcome for all stakeholders. The project was successfully energized in May 2023.

German Hernandez, Regional Director of Business Development for CTC Global stated: “Although ACCC® Advanced Conductors are a mature and proven technology for improving transmission line efficiency and performance, it is a seemingly innovative technology in Colombia. EPM, trendsetter in innovation for the electric system, recognized how ACCC’s intrinsic benefits such as the conductor’s low sag, light weight and the possibility of having larger spans, would allow them to use fewer steel poles along the transmission line pathway. This was also important because shorter structures could also be utilized. Their selection of ACCC Conductor also guarantees a reserve capacity for several years into the future.”

ACCC® Conductor Efficiency Independently Certified

In a groundbreaking move, CTC Global introduced the ACCC InfoCore® System in 2020, which enables a quick, simple confirmation of conductor integrity during the installation process.

Three years later, The ACCC InfoCore® System has reached yet another level of evolution, changing the future of powerline technology.

Look for our official product release announcement on our social media channels soon!

CTC Global Collaborates with Advanced Energy Group

CTC Global was very pleased to collaborate with the Advanced Energy Group at meetings in Chicago and Boston at their Stakeholder Challenge on Grid Modernization events.

It was a great opportunity to work with experts in various energy fields, discussing grid challenges, and sharing equitable solutions for advancing grid modernization. We look forward to future discussions!

ACCC^® Hardware is the Very Best!