The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will link Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The link will have a capacity to transmit about 6GW of electricity, which is enough to satisfy the electricity demands of more than 80 million people in the region.

It will integrate thermal and wind energy to transmit power to areas of high consumption down south when wind is low and to transmit it back to north when there is excess wind power.

ABB will design, engineer, supply, install and commission the transmission system.

It will also deliver UHVDC stations including transformers, converter valves, cooling systems along with control and protection technology.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 2019, will also feature technologies selected to minimize the footprint of the transmission stations.

The total project value is worth over $840m and the remaining will be implemented by ABB’s consortium partner Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). 

ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said: “Delivering reliable electricity to India’s energy demand centers is a top priority for the Indian government to support the country’s impressive growth momentum.

“ABB is strongly committed to India for more than a century and with this new long distance transmission link, we are delivering the benefits from the Energy Revolution to the country building on the strength of our strong local manufacturing footprint.

ABB Power Grids division president Claudio Facchin said: “As part of our Next Level Strategy, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge technologies like HVDC to integrate renewables and transmit power reliably and efficiently, providing vital access to electricity and making a real difference to people’s lives.

”We will leverage our extensive local manufacturing and engineering base in India and proven partnership with our consortium partner BHEL for the execution of this prestigious project.”

Image: ABB to supply and construct an 1830km UHVDC transmission link in India. Photo: Courtesy of ABB.