US - The delivery and installation of a transformer require careful coordination

After making a long cross-continent journey, a 110-ton power grid transformer arrived at the East Pine Substation in the wee hours of Sunday, Feb. 12. Similar in weight to a Boeing 757 airplane, Seattle City Light’s newest transformer is expected to have a lifespan of 40 to 50 years. It would replace a decades-old transformer, improving power reliability and load capacity and allowing for greater control and monitoring capabilities.

The East Pine Substation houses four transformers powering Seattle’s Central District, First Hill, and Capitol Hill, including area hospitals. The new transformer is part of a multi-year project to expand and upgrade the brick-walled substation, which came online in 1967 and was designated a Seattle Landmark in 2019 due to its award-winning architectural design. 

“Transformer replacements are one of the largest single projects undertaken by our stations’ personnel, taking many months of planning, preparation, and execution and thousands of labor hours,” Gutmann explained.

Source: Seattle.gov