Name of the Project
Changji–Guquan ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) link project.

Location
The Changji–Guquan UHVDC link will transmit power from the Xinjiang region in the north-west to Anhui province, in eastern China.

Client
The link will be operated by transmission grid operator State Grid Corporation of China.

Project Description
The project entails the development of the world’s first 1 100 kV UHVDC transmission link.

The Changji–Guquan UHVDC link will set a new world record in terms of voltage level, transmission capacity and distance.

It will be capable of transporting 12 000 MW of electricity – the equivalent of 12 large power plants – a 50% increase in transmission capacity, compared with the 800 kV UHVDC links currently in operation.

This will also help extend the transmission distance from about 2 000 km to more than 3 000 km and play a key role in integrating remote renewables on a large scale, transmitting power over greater distances and facilitating a more interconnected grid.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
The link is expected to go into operation at the end of 2018.

Latest Developments
ABB has been awarded the contracts, valued at $300-million, to supply breakthrough technologies for the Changji–Guquan UHVDC link.

The company will supply the HVDC converter valves, direct current circuit breakers, wall bushings and capacitors, and provide system design support.

The transformers will be among the most powerful in the world, meeting the most stringent performance, reliability and safety standards.

Each transformer weighs 800 t, measuring 32 m in length. ABB’s state-of-the-art transformer manufacturing and testing facility in Chongqing, as well as the local HVDC engineering and technology centre, will be actively involved in the delivery and execution of the project. Meanwhile, Siemens will deliver the world’s first 1 100 kV converter transformers for the transmission link. The transformers are also the most powerful in the world, with a capacity of 587.1 MVA.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
ABB (UHVDC) and Siemens (HVDC transformers).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
State Grid Corporation of China, email sgcc-info@sgcc.com.cn.
ABB media relations,   Saswato Das  ,  Antonio Ligi , Sandra Wiesner, tel +41 43 3 17  65 68.
Siemens energy management division, Sabrina Martin, tel +49 9131 7 37168 or email sabrina.martin@siemens.com.