ABB has completed modernization of the Celilo high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station in Oregon, US, for the country’s utility Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a power marketing agency within the US Department of Energy.
The work is a part of a contract awarded to ABB in 2013 by BPA to upgrade the converter station, which connects Pacific Northwest and southern California through an electricity link.
Commissioned in 1970, the Celilo converter station is located at the north end of the Pacific DC Intertie. It has a capacity of 3,100MW.
Pacific DC Intertie is 1,360km HVDC link designed to transmit electricity from the Pacific Northwest to about three million households in the greater Los Angeles area.
ABB upgraded the converter station and increased its capacity up to 3,800MW in a bid to improve power reliability for millions of West Coast residents.
ABB Power Grids division Grid Systems business unit managing director Patrick Fragman said: "The Pacific Intertie was the first major HVDC link to be installed in the US and has been providing power to millions in the U.S. for nearly five decades, and we are delighted to return to this pioneering project.
"ABB is a global leader in HVDC and this upgrade emphasizes our commitment to service and lifetime support, a key element of our Next Level Strategy."
Image: The Celilo HVDC converter station is located at the north end of the Pacific DC Intertie. Photo: courtesy of ABB AB.