Substation Expansion Supports Data Center Energy Demand

The client required a significant expansion of an existing 500 kV substation to increase system capacity, integrate new high-voltage infrastructure, and support growing load demand, including a direct connection to a data center. The project involved complex design within an energized yard, requiring careful coordination to maintain system reliability while accommodating new equipment, reconfiguring existing infrastructure, and meeting aggressive schedule and budget targets.

GFT provided full-service engineering design and support for the installation of a new 750 MVA 500/230 kV transformer bank (three 250 MVA single-phase units) and associated substation expansion. The design incorporated a breaker-and-a-half scheme with new 500 kV breakers, additional 230 kV infrastructure, and transmission line terminations to the new data center.

Our team delivered a comprehensive set of engineering services, including detailed electrical design, physical layout, and system studies, while also supporting critical civil and site development elements. GFT carefully coordinated the integration of new equipment into the existing energized substation, ensuring constructability, safety, and minimal operational disruption. In addition, GFT provided grounding design, geotechnical coordination, surveying, grading design, and drainage system redesign to support the expanded footprint. With more than 25,000 engineering hours delivered, the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. GFT’s integrated, multidisciplinary approach enabled the successful delivery of a complex substation expansion while maintaining system reliability and optimizing project performance.

This project represents one of GFT’s most recent and significant substation design assignments, involving a major expansion of an existing 500 kV substation for connection of a major data center for a hyperscaler.