Hitachi Energy has been selected by Transmission Developers Inc to supply a high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station for a US-Canadian interconnection.
The converter station will form a key part of the transmission asset for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) HVDC interconnection between Québec, Canada and the New York City metro area, in the US.
The link will enable the delivery of clean, renewable hydropower between Canada and New York, contributing to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which aims for the state to be powered by 70% renewable energy by 2030.
Using Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light technology, CHPE will transfer up to 1250MW of electricity for more than 600 km underground from Hertel, Canada, through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, to an HVDC converter station in Astoria, Queens.
For the New York site, Hitachi Energy will supply the HVDC Light converter station, that will convert the DC power from Canada to AC power and make it available for the AC grid in New York.
Kiewit, one of North America’s largest engineering and construction companies, will be responsible for the civil works for the converter station in New York
“HVDC systems have tremendous potential for bringing large amounts of electricity directly into cities, which is essential for securing sustainable and affordable power today and in the future,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business.
“We are proud to play a crucial role in this very important investment in North America’s transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality.”
Transmission Developers CEO Donald Jessome added: “We look forward to beginning construction activity later this year and to delivering an abundance of clean, renewable energy to New Yorkers.”
The complete CHPE system is expected to create more than 1400 jobs during construction and, during the first 30 years of operation, deliver almost $50bn in economic benefits to New York state.