ABB has a new 3000 MW Light

ABB has announced the latest development of its high voltage direct current offering HVDC Light, which it says is a step change in the footprint size and performance of a technology it first presented 20 years ago. Its object then was to make it possible to ‘reliably transmit large amounts of electricity over greater distances economically and efficiently’.

ABB has announced that it is now pushing the boundaries of this technology further. The next level of Light more than doubles its power capacity to 3000 MW. System design enhancements will bring a significant change in compactness, with the potential to deliver 350 % more power per square metre of space used – a notable benefit in applications like offshore wind, and interconnections, and in terms of converter station footprint whether on offshore platforms or onshore installations.

These advances, says ABB, of doubling power and distance capability, were made possible with the development of semiconductor-based power electronic devices that provide greater control and make smaller HVDC systems economical.

Claudio Facchin, president of ABB Power Grids. “As we mark 20 years of this breakthrough, we are ready to write the next chapter of this technology, with significant enhancements that will help transmit power further with minimum losses and bring major benefits to our customers. HVDC is a cornerstone of our Next Level strategy, reinforcing our position as a partner of choice in enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.”

Advances in 20 years

The last two decades have seen great advances in the technology. Power capacity has gone up nearly 30 times from 50 to 1400 MW, voltage levels have gone up from 80 to 525 kV, and distance capability from 70 to over 1000 km. At the same time transmission losses have been brought down to less than 1%.

With a higher voltage capability of up to 640 kV, the latest technology also extends distance capability – doubling it to 2000 km – enabling more renewables to be integrated and longer interconnections to be built. Losses have been reduced further, which when combined with the above enhancements is said to translate to significant cost optimisation benefits for owners and transmission system operators.