Alstom Grid, a power transmission company, has secured a contract from Tres Amigas, an electric utility, to provide its HVDC converter technology for the Tres Amigas SuperStation, a power transmission hub that will link the US’ three primary electric transmission grids.
The project, which will link these transmission grids, including the Southwest Power Pool, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, will be located in Clovis, New Mexico.
Alstom Grid plans to immediately begin engineering design for the transmission interconnection for the project applying its new technology in Voltage Source Converters, and commence construction in 2012, with the SuperStation scheduled to begin commercial operations by 2014.
The project, which will have reactive power capability that can be controlled at each interconnection, is expected to enhance the reliability of the country’s electricity network and facilitate the efficient transfer of clean energy between regions.
Tres Amigas CEO and founder Phil Harris said that Tres Amigas has engaged the world’s elite engineering, project management and technology organizations to connect America’s balkanized power grids for the first time ever with the Tres Amigas SuperStation.
"We are very pleased to now include the highly experienced team of power electronics engineers from Alstom Grid as part of the Tres Amigas team," Harris said.