ABB has won an order worth around US150m to supply converter transformers, DC (direct current) filter capacitors and key components for converter valves for the world’s highest capacity power link in China.
Once completed in 2014, the 8,000 MW Xiluodu-Zhexi link will be capable of transmitting the energy equivalent of eight large power plants and supplying 40 TWh/year, enough to meet the needs of over 11 million Chinese consumers. The 800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission connection will transport clean hydropower over a distance of 1,670 km, from Yibin in Sichuan province in southwest China to Zhejiang province on the east coast. ABB's scope of supply for the project includes converter transformers, DC filter capacitors and key components. As part of the transmission process, converter transformers provide a critical interface between the DC link and the alternating current (AC) network.