The selection of HVDC technology, as opposed to conventional AC systems, has helped save around 130 sqkm of area in the case of the newly-commissioned Raigarh-Pugalur link, according to a statement by Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India, the project EPC contractor.
A release by Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India, announcing the commissioning of the Raigarh-Pugalur UHVDC line, said that the use of HVDC (high voltage direct current) technology helps conserve the environment by occupying only about one-third the land compared to a traditional AC (alternating current) line.
In the case of the ±800kV Raigarh-Pugalur link, this land saving amounts to 130 sqkm of area, which, for a frame of reference, is quarter of the area of Mumbai city, the release noted.
According to N. Venu, Managing Director & CEO, Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India, “With the commissioning of this groundbreaking UHVDC link, we have kept our promise to enable more clean and reliable power for millions of people, helping to build a future where electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system.”
The new link will help further integration of sustainable energy into the grid, supporting the government’s goal of reaching 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, the release said.
The +/-800kV UHVDC link with a transfer capacity of 6,000 mw, has the capacity to meet the electricity needs of more than 80 million people and stretches 1,800 km to connect Raigarh in Chhattisgarh in central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Reliable power can now be transmitted in either direction depending on demand, with exceptionally low power losses and minimal environmental footprint, the statement observed.
The contract
In 2016, a consortium of Hitachi ABB Power Grids and Central PSU Bharat Heavy Engineering Ltd (BHEL) had the order for this project from project owner Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids has been responsible for delivering the UHVDC converter stations, including design, engineering, construction, installation, and commissioning, as well as major equipment, including 800kV converter transformers, converter valves, high-voltage products and control and protection technology. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Raigarh-Pugalur link was held on May 21, 2017.
(For more stories on the Reigarh-Pugalur HVDC link, and its extension component (Pugalur-Thrichur line), click here.)
Featured photograph gives an overview of the actual project site at Pugalur in Tamil Nadu. (Photo: Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India)
