The company designed, supplied and installed the back-to-back station in Upper Michigan for American Transmission.
The HVDC Light, based on voltage source converter technology, will control the power flow between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.
A back-to-back system features two HVDC converters linked directly to each other, without any direct transmission line, in order to control the power transfer via the connection.
The voltage and reactive power control features of the system allow integrating further wind energy and stabilizing the network.
ABB said the station’s black-start capability enables for fast network restoration using power from the other end of the system in the case of a power outage.
ABB power systems division head of the grid systems business Hans-Peter Faessler said: "The Mackinac station is the world’s first HVDC back-to-back system for transmission using voltage source converter technology. This is a milestone demonstrating how ABB can help customers achieve efficient grid control and stabilization."
The company said HVDC Light increases the reliability of power grids, and the technology extends the economical power range of HVDC transmission down to just a few tens of MW. In the upper range, the technology now reaches 1,800MW and ±500 kV.
ABB has completed about 100 HVDC projects globally, with a total transmission capacity of more than 95,000MW.
Image: The 200MW HVDC Light station will improve grid stability and integrate more wind energy in Michigan. Photo: Courtesy of ABB.
