BENGALURU: Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India said on Monday it has successfully commissioned one of India's longest ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission links for Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
The 800 kilovolt (kV) plus 6,000-megawatt (MW) link has the capacity to meet the electricity needs of more than eight crore people and stretches 1,800 km to connect Raigarh 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, said the company.
The link supports the government's mission and UN Sustainable Development goal number 7 of increasing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids worked with the customer, government agencies, local authorities and suppliers to deliver the link during the Covid-19 pandemic. Responsible project execution with health and safety at the forefront were key to this achievement.
"We strive to be a socially responsible business. Supporting society and protecting our people is at the center of our operations," said N Venu, Managing Director and CEO.
The link strengthens grid resilience and stabilises the power infrastructure by combining traditional and renewable power generation. It enables further development and integration of sustainable energy, supporting the government's goal of reaching 450 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2030.
The consortium of Hitachi ABB Power Grids and engineering and manufacturing firm BHEL won the order in 2016 from Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
The company has good HVDC track record in India where it introduced the technology with the Vindhyachal project in 1989. Raigarh-Pugalur is the company's sixth HVDC project in the country and second UHVDC installation following multi-terminal northeast Agra link.