Hitachi Energy has been selected by SSEN Transmission, part of the UK energy giant SSE plc, to supply multiple onshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations to accelerate the integration of bulk renewables into the UK power grid.
The agreement includes the deployment of up to five HVDC power corridors, or electricity transmission superhighways, to enable large amounts of future renewable power to be transported from northern Scotland to areas of higher consumption in the south. Each of these connection systems has a capacity of up to 2 GW and a voltage level of 525 kV. The total 10 GW of renewable electricity capacity would provide the equivalent power consumption for around 10 million UK homes.
The first two projects under the framework agreement between Arnish-Beauly and Spittal-Peterhead have already been defined. The three additional projects are flexible in location, and to be defined as large-scale studies are finalized. The HVDC links are expected to enter operation in 2030 and onwards.
