ABB launches 1,100 kV ultra high-voltage transformer

The technology will make it possible to transmit more than 10,000 MW of power across distances as long as 3,000 km

Power and automation technology group ABB today said it has launched 1,100 kV (kilovolt) ultra high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) converter transformer, which facilitates over 10,000 MW of power to be transmitted efficiently over longer distances.

"The new 1,100 kV converter transformer technology will make it possible to transmit more than 10,000 MW of power across distances as long as 3,000 km," the company said in a statement.

The Xiangjiaba-Shanghai link, commissioned by ABB was the world's first commercial 800 kV UHVDC connection with a capacity of 6,400 MW and to cover a distance of just over 2,000 km, making it the longest of its kind in operation, it said.

"This new 1,100 kV transformer technology will make it possible to transmit even more electricity efficiently and reliably, at higher voltage levels, across greater distances with minimum losses," company's head of power products division Bernhard Jucker said.

Higher voltage levels allow larger amounts of electricity to be transported across very long distances with minimal losses using HVDC technology.

Converter transformers play a critical role in HVDC transmission serving as the vital interface between the DC link and the AC network.

"Development of the 1,100 kV transformer will address several technology challenges such as the sheer size and scale, electrical insulation, including bushings and thermal performance parameters," he added.