ABB partners with China’s State Grid to integrate large-scale renewables
ABB’s Power Grids business has won several major orders to supply advanced HVDC converter transformers and high-voltage equipment.
Image for illustration purposes
ABB’s Power Grids business has won several major orders to supply advanced HVDC converter transformers and high-voltage equipment for three 800 kilovolt (kV), ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission links, owned by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), in China.
The links will help in integrating hydro, wind and solar power generation, whilst reducing CO2 emissions. Financial details were not disclosed.
The transmission links will be among the world’s most powerful. Each link will transport up to 8,000 megawatts MW of electricity – individually enough power to meet the needs of around eight million people in China(1).
The 1,700-kilometer Yazhong-Nanchang link is part of China’s West-East Electricity Transmission initiative. It helps the hydro-resource-rich Sichuan Province, Southwest China, to transmit green energy to the load center of Jiangxi Province in East China. Once complete, the project is expected to reduce approximately 16 million tons of coal consumption and 40 million tons of CO2 every year.
The 1,100-kilometer Shaanbei-Wuhan link marks an important step for SGCC in developing global UHVDC systems standards. And the 1,500-kilometer Qinghai-Henan project is a UHV channel specially designed for the transmission of clean energy, including solar and wind power.
As part of the solution, ABB Power Grids will provide key technologies to ensure and safeguard the reliable, efficient, and smooth transmission and distribution of electricity over these long-distance links – resulting in minimal losses and optimal power quality. Key technologies include HVDC converter transformers, components such as wall bushings, capacitor banks, dead tank breakers and HVDC switches.
Source: ABB