The US developer Pattern Energy has selected Hitachi Energy to supply high voltage direct current (HVDC) and other technologies for the 885 km-long, 525 kV HVDC SunZia transmission line between the US states of New Mexico and Arizona. Pattern Energy’s SunZia Transmission Project will use Hitachi Energy’s kit to connect the 3.5 GW SunZia Wind project in New Mexico to the US power grid. The HVDC link will transmit up to 3 GW of SunZia’s wind output to Arizona.
Hitachi Energy has also partnered with Quanta Services to provide a turnkey project solution for the SunZia project, including managing the HVDC construction and building installation at the associated project sites. The HVDC converter stations are expected to be in-service by the end of 2025 to support final testing and commissioning of the SunZia Wind facilities in 2026. Construction is expected to start during the course of 2023.
Pattern Energy received approval for the project from Arizona and New Mexico in November 2022. In July 2022, Pattern Energy acquired the SunZia transmission line project from SouthWestern Power Group, a subsidiary of US construction engineering company MMR Group. Previously, Pattern Energy completed the 1 GW Western Spirit wind project in New Mexico in January 2022 and brought online the Western Spirit 249 km, 345 kV transmission line in December 2021.