Ultra High Voltage DC Systems

The use of HVDC at 800 kV,

has been found efficient,
environmentally friendly
and economically attrac-
tive for large point to point
power transmissions of
the order of 6400 MW and
more, with distances of
more than 1000 km. World-
wide there is an increasing
interest in the application
of HVDC at 800 kV.
800 kV UHVDC

UHVDC test circuit, Ludvika, Sweden

Financial benefits and built-in Financial

advantages
Two main driving forces justify the use of 800 kV
HVDC.
• First, significantly lower total cost of investment
and losses.
• Second, this technology takes up significantly
less space, which often is as important as the
evaluated capital cost.
There are three main aspects to the financial
evaluation:
• Transmission system losses
• The investment cost for the line
• The investment cost for the converter station
and associated AC switchgear
The diagram below illustrates the cost differences
between 765 kV AC, 500 kV DC and 800 kV DC.
The example is for a 2 000 km long line to transmit
6 000 MW.

Pole bus arrester testing

Transmission of 6000 MW over 2000 km.
Total evaluated costs in MUSD

3500
3000
2500
MUSD

Losses
2000
Line cost
1500
1000 Station cost

500
0
765 kV AC 500 kV DC 800 kV DC

2 ABB

Artist view of 800 kV UHVDC switchyard
Inherent environmental advantages
Narrow tracks
With 800 kV HVDC the right of way of the po-
wer line is minimal. Where conventional means
of transmission are used, two or more lines are
needed and in most cases the right of way for
each one of them will be wider. The sketch be-
low shows the approximate differences:
Low losses
As mentioned under “Financial” above, the line
losses for HVDC lines are significantly lower than
those for AC lines for a practical design.
765 kV AC
Number
of lines:
Right of way ~ 240
(meter)
ABB
800 kV UHVDC
Low magnetic fields
Contrasted with normal AC transmission lines,
HVDC lines have an almost negligible alter-
nating magnetic field. This means that HVDC
lines, unlike AC lines, can easily satisfy the
stricter magnetic field requirements (<0.4 μT)
increasingly being enforced in the western
countries.
Remote renewable energies can be utilized
Using 800 kV HVDC it is possible to use remo-
te environmental friendly hydro power, today
located too far from the load centers for using
other transmission alternatives.
500 kV DC 800 kV DC
~ 110 ~ 90
3
800 kV HVDC
By-pass breaker, disconnector and
RI capacitor installed at the 800 kV
UHVDC test circuit at STRI, Ludvika
Transformer bushing testing
4 ABB
Dielectric testing of 800 kV UHVDC valve hall bushing
Basic research
More than twenty years have passed since the
voltage used for HVDC transmission was last
increased. The reason why it took so long time
is that this development step required further
basic research:
• The development of new materials for insu-
lators in an outdoor environment. Using a
higher voltage means that there must be a
larger air clearance between live parts and
ground. For the past 100 years, insulators to
provide these gaps were primarily made of
porcelain. However, the past fifteen years
have seen the development of new polymeric
materials which make it possible to abandon
porcelain, especially for silicone rubber.
This material has been proven to possess very
favorable properties for outdoor insulation.
• Advanced computer-aided design tools for
three-dimensional field calculations, primarily
for transformer design.
• Refined measurement methods using advanced
laser technology to determine the characteristics
of insulating materials and insulation systems.
• Advanced control systems that control the entire
installation. This calls for an extremely high
calculation capacity, exploiting state-of-the art
computer processors and information technology
to the limit. For this, the Mach2 system developed
in-house by ABB is used.
There was a development project aimed at raising
the voltage to 800 kV in the mid-1990s, but the basic
research needed to achieve this was not finalized
at the time. While the project was in progress, the
market lost the interest and the project was halted.

UHVDC test circuit, Ludvika, Sweden
The key issues handled in the project
1. With up to 9 000 MW being carried on one
pair of overhead lines, extreme reliability is
obviously essential. Therefore a completely
new station design has been developed to
achieve these requirements. The converters
must not fail more than once every twenty-five
years. Increased availability is achieved by ex-
tensive sectioning of both the main circuit and
the auxiliary systems. In addition, all control
and protection systems are duplicated, as well
as auxiliary systems such as auxiliary power
and emergency battery systems.
2. New types of all the high-voltage devices subject
to DC have been developed and fitted with
newly-developed polymer insulating materials.
Examples of such devices are voltage dividers,
bypass switches, radio interference capacitors,
disconnectors and post insulators.
3. One of the main goals of the project was to de-
velop a transformer and a bushing for 800 kV.
The foundation for this was the basic research
mentioned above. Prototype bushings were
produced and type-tested. For the transformer,
a mock-up was built to simulate the parts of
ABB
800 kV UHVDC
The 800 kV project
Since the basic research
was in place, extensive
product development has
taken place over the past
two years. Most of this
development work has
been done at ABB’s facility
at Ludvika, backed by the
Corporate research labora-
tory at Västerås.
* STRI is an independent
technology consulting
company and accredited
high-voltage laboratory
located in Ludvika,
Sweden.
www.stri.se
the transformer subject to high DC voltages.
The photos on pages 4 and 7 show the
transformer and wall bushing during test.
4. Design criteria for air clearance have been esta-
blished. Extensive tests were done at extre-
mely high, previously unused voltages. The
photo to the right show a discharge at over
2 million volts. These flashes are more than Valve hall clearance testing. Testing
of multiple air gap in corner. Several
ten meters long. The photo is taken during flashovers superimposed in one photo.
an insulation gap test in one of the high-vol-
tage laboratories in Ludvika.
5. The DCC 800 control and protection system
is a futher development of the proven Mach2
system. Focus has been to satisfy the extreme
reliability demands.
6. A new thyristor and thyristor valve have been
developed to handle the increased voltage
and current.
7. Finally, all critical devices are undergoing
endurance testing in a special endurance
testing station built by ABB at STRI* in Lud-
vika. The elevated voltage test extends over a
year. The purpose of the test is to verify the
long-term characteristics of the components
used.
5
800 kV UHVDC

Artist view of 800 kV UHVDC switchyard

The market today and tomorrow
In China and India, the demand for energy is
growing dramatically. Every year, China installs
new power generating capacity equivalent to
the entire installed capacity of Sweden. Major
expansion of available hydro power will be
needed to satisfy this demand.
For China, this means to further exploit large
hydro resources in the West of the country.
However, the power is needed in the eastern
and southern parts of the country, so the genera-
ted electricity must be transmitted 1 500 to 2 000
kilometers (up to 1 200 miles). Up until now, 600 kV
DC has been used for long-distance transmission
of electric power, over distances of around 1 000
kilometers (about 600 miles).
With the introduction of 800 kV DC it will be possible
to transmit power as far as 3 000 kilometers (over
1 850 miles) with reasonable transmission losses.
China is currently planning to build one 800 kV

Disconnector and RI capacitor

installed at the 800 kV UHVDC test
circuit at STRI, Ludvika

Dielectric testing of 800 kV

UHVDC wall bushing

6 ABB

DC line per year over the next ten years, with a
capacity of between 5 000 and 6 400 MW per line.
India plans to expand hydro power in the north-
eastern part of the country. As in China, the de-
mand for power is far away from the resources,
so also here the power will have to be transmitted
as far as 2 000 km (up to 1 200 miles). India is
currently planning to build one 800 kV DC line
every two years over the next ten years, with a
capacity of 6 000 MW per line.
ABB
800 kV UHVDC
Artist view of 800 kV UHVDC switchyard
Apart from China and India, investigations are
going on to use 800 kV lines in southern parts
of Africa and Brazil.
The conclusion is that 800 kV DC will account
for a significant part of world growth in power
transmission capacity over at least the next ten
years.
Transformer prototype in test room
7
ABB Power Technologies AB
Grid Systems - HVDC
SE-771 80 Ludvika, Sweden
Tel: +46 240 78 20 00
Fax: +46 240 61 11 59
www.abb.com/hvdc Pamphlet no POW-0043