Hitachi Energy has been selected by Hydro-Québec for its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology for the transmission of electricity between eastern Canada and New York State, in the US.
Hydro-Québec, the largest hydroelectricity producer in Canada, will be able to supply the Canadian provinces and the north eastern US with surplus electricity, using the new HVDC equipment.
The Châteauguay HVDC system will enable the transmission of up to 1.5GW of electricity between the electrical networks of Quebec and New York which will contribute to maintaining a low carbon footprint in the region.
The new system will replace existing equipment which has been in operation since 1984, increasing its efficiency and increasing the power conversion capacity of the Châteauguay HVDC system by 50%.
“We are proud to be returning to the Chateauguay HVDC station, after helping to build it almost four decades ago,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business.
“This new system represents an important enhancement to the ability to transmit large-scale hydro power between Canada and the United States, which will support the shift away from fossil fuel.”
Hitachi Energy is supplying a “back-to-back” converter station, which converts AC power to DC then reconverts it to AC from DC enabling the interconnection of the 735kV Canadian and 765kV New York grids which are “out of phase” and cannot be connected directly via traditional AC systems.