Transformer and Reactor Procurement

This Green Book provides those involved in transformer procurement with comprehensive guidance on industry best practice to avoid wrong decisions. Transformers are one of the expensive components in the power system, and also contribute a large proportion of the losses. Transformers also have long lives - more than 40 years in many cases. Making the wrong decisions during the procurement process can have serious and long-lasting consequences. 

​Study Committee A2 is responsible for all aspects of power transformers and reactors with CIGRE, throughout their life cycle from procurement to disposal.  Study Committee A2 places a special emphasis on innovative solutions to problems facing both manufacturers and users.  A power transformer is a non-mechanical apparatus used to change the voltage, but not the frequency, of an alternating current supply.  Power transformers play an essential role in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.  A reactor is a non-mechanical apparatus of similar design and construction to a power transformer, used to control voltages or currents in parts of the electricity network.
Gilson M Bastos was born in Brazil in 1954 and graduated in Electrcial Engineering from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 1979.  He joined Furnas Centrais Eletricas, one of the largest utilities in Brazil, and working as transformer engineer and electrical equipment engineer up to 2007.  From 2007 to 2013 he worked in the renewable energy area as manager of the planning department.  From 2014 until his retirement from Furnas in 2017, he was in charge of all transmission projects.  Following his retirement from Furnas, he has joined MSG Transmission, where he is responsible for new 500kV transmission projects.

He has been an active member of CIGRE for many years.  He was a member of working groups A2.27 on condition monitoring facilities, A2/B4.28 on HVDC transformers, and A2.37 on transformer reliability.  He was also regular member for Brazil on SC A2 between 2014 and 2020.

Tom Breckenridge was born in Greenock, Scotland, in 1955. He studied electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Glasgow between 1973 and 1977. He joined the South of Scotland Electricity Board in 1978, initially as an operational engineer within the distribution field. A move to transmission substation design followed in 1996, where he also assumed the role as principal transformer expert for Scottish Power responsible for specification purchasing and approval of all transformers. Leaving Scottish Power in 2006, he founded TB TCS Ltd through which he provides specialist services in the field of large power transformers on a global basis, primarily operating in the procurement area.

He is a registered European engineer, a fellow of the IET, a UK chartered engineer, and a distinguished member of CIGRE. He was convenor of CIGRE working group A2-36 on transformer procurement. Tom is chairman designate of British Standards PEL/14 committee for power transformers and a member of several IEC maintenance teams under IEC TC14 where he was also IEC convener for the latest version of IEC/IEEE standard 60076-16 for wind turbine transformers.

Mike Lamb was born in the USA in 1966. He is currently manager of electric transmission operations engineering in the power delivery group at Dominion Energy in Richmond Virginia, USA. He joined Dominion Energy in 1988 and has held several engineering positions during his career with experience in electric substation and transmission line design and maintenance, distribution system planning and operations, and system operations contingency analysis and transmission open access. Prior to his current position, he was principal engineer in electric transmission operations engineering responsible for the technical oversight of the power transformer procurement process in support of all Dominion Energy’s business units. Mike now leads a team of specialized engineers responsible for major electric transmission equipment specifications; system analysis, technical investigations and root cause analyses, and providing analysis and guidance for emerging technological challenges.

He became a member of CIGRE in 2007. Mike was a member of CIGRE working group A2.36 on transformer procurement andsecretary of CIGRE working group A2.48 on shunt reactors, and he is secretary of CIGRE working group A2.58 on installation and pre-commissioning. He has been an active member of CIGRE USNC and was a recipient in 2018 of the Attwood Associate Award.

Tara-Lee MacArthur studied electrical engineering at Queensland University of Technology from 2008 to 2011, graduating with a BEng. She works for an Australian energy utility as a substation design standards engineer and is noted for her work on power transformer specification and design and transformer life management. She is a member of the CIGRE Australia A2 mirror panel (since 2015) and director of the CIGRE Australia Board (since 2020). She has been an active member within CIGRE internationally as secretary of CIGRE Working Group A2.49 between 2016 and 2019 and has been chair of A2 AG.2 on tutorials since 2020. She is a registered professional engineer in Queensland, Australia.

Simon Ryder was born in Englandin 1973. He studied engineering science at St John’s College, Oxford University, between 1992 and 1996. He worked for GEC Alsthom and later Alstom, between 1997 and 2003, in transformer design, development, and eventually research. He is known for his work on thermal characteristics of transformers and frequency response analysis (FRA). He joined Doble in 2003, initially working mainly on transformer life management. Since 2009, he has worked mainly on transformer procurement, especially supplier qualification and development.

He is a senior member of IEEE-PES, a fellow of IET, and a chartered engineer. He was a member of CIGRE working groups A2.36 on transformer procurement, D1/A2.47 on advances in DGA interpretation, and A2.58 on transformer installation, pre-commissioning, and trial operation, and was convenor of CIGRE working group A2.48 on shunt reactors. He was chairman of CIGRE Committee A2 on power transformers and reactors between 2016 and 2020. He is editor-in-chief ofthis Green Book.