The Raigarh-Pugalur 800kV ultra high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system is intended to connect Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to Pugalur in Tamil Nadu to meet the electricity needs of over 80 million people in the country.
With a transmission capacity of 6,000MW, the two-way UHVDC link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centers.
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.
“With our state-of-the-art UHVDC technology, we enable the balancing of renewable and conventional electricity supply over long distances in a smart and reliable way.”
The project is valued at more than $840m. The balance will be executed by ABB’s consortium partner Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHE), an Indian utility firm.
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.”
ABB said it will execute the project by leveraging its local manufacturing and engineering base in India. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
Image: The new Raigarh-Pugalur UHVDC link is expected to meet the electricity needs of over 80 million people in India. Photo: courtesy of ABB.
