July 24, 2024 Modernizing Steel Dynamics Heartland’s Power Assets

ABB modernizes Steel Dynamics Heartland Division’s power assets for improved safety, reliability and uptime.

• ABB Electrification supports the SDI Heartland steel processing operation in its critical modernization efforts
• Project includes medium-voltage switchgear doors and Relion® protection and control relays to provide reliable power supply and prevent costly downtime
• Communications capabilities ensures 24/7 monitoring of electrical assets to help avoid unexpected issues/outages while enabling SDI Heartland to scale its operations

ABB Electrification Service has teamed up with Steel Dynamics Heartland Division (SDI Heartland) to modernize aging substation equipment.

SDI Heartland chose ABB to design, build and install new switchgear doors, controls, and protection relays at its 18-breaker substation. Repairing the vintage relays was proving to be a challenge. Replacing them with new technology was essential to ensure reliable power supply to the mill and avoid costly downtime.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a great working relationship with the team at SDI Heartland over the years, and as they’ve grown, we’ve been able to work alongside them to help ensure the plant had a reliable supply of power,” said Tim Gentry, Business Development Manager for ABB. “Servicing their aging relays has been an important part of our work at the Heartland operation. So, when it came time to modernize their gear, we were fully aware of the challenges they faced and the importance of delivering a safe, on-time installation.”

SDI Heartland opted for ABB’s Relion® 615 series as the new protection relays. These compact and versatile devices offer protection, control, monitoring and supervision all in one relay. In addition, for increased safety, the relays include arc flash protection, based on optical arc flash detection with fiber-optic light sensors, tripping at arc faults in milliseconds.

To demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the new Relion® relays, ABB initially replaced two of the old unreliable relays in SDI Heartland’s substation. The successful smaller-scale project gave SDI Heartland the confidence and conviction to move forward and replace the remaining 16 relays in the medium-voltage line-up.

Beyond a modern set of protection and control relays that help keep the substation operating at optimal conditions, ABB’s Relion® 615 series relays also include communications capabilities, enabling SDI Heartland to monitor their main relays and understand what each of their feeders is doing.

“These new Relion® relays have a large, user-friendly graphic display, and now SDI Heartland’s technicians are able to continuously see the status of their equipment, making it easier for them to get detailed information and make better-informed maintenance decisions to further prevent costly downtime,” said Gentry.

The Heartland Division has the annual capability to pickle and cold-reduce one million tons of steel, with the ability to galvanize 360,000 tons. This enhanced communication capability combined with the confidence of modern relay technology will be critical as SDI Heartland grows. The company is currently undergoing an expansion project that has added a second galvanizing line and a paint line. SDI Heartland has once again selected ABB for the new switchgear and commissioning work that will support these new lines.

“I’ve always been impressed with ABB and their commitment to quality, safety, and service. The experience and expertise of their field engineers are the reason we consistently choose them to help us keep our electrical assets operating as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Dave Fulford, Engineering and Maintenance Manager with SDI Heartland.

ABB’s modernization services reduce total cost of ownership, maximize return of investment and deliver safer, smarter and more reliable solutions that get the most out of existing assets and typically extend their lifespan for another 20-30 years. Through product care and servicing to modernizing operations and providing advisory services on the health of electrical distribution systems, we help customers maximize performance, improve energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

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