The 8,000MW Xiluodu-Zhexi link, which is slated to be completed in 2014, will transmit the energy equivalent of eight large power plants and supply 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year which is sufficient to meet the needs of over 11 million Chinese consumers.
In addition, the use of renewable hydropower will help avoid combustion of over 12 million metric tons of coal, reduce potential carbon emissions by about 34 million tons annually.
The 800kV ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission connection will transport clean hydropower over a distance of 1,670km from Yibin in Sichuan province in southwest China to Zhejiang province on the east coast.
ABB pioneered High voltage direct current (HVDC) technology nearly 60 years ago, and allows large amounts of electricity to be transmitted over long distances with minimal losses.
As part of the transmission process, converter transformers provide a critical interface between the DC link and the alternating current network.
