 
19-21 June 200
HVDC Light technology key to 40-kilometer subsea link in the U.S.
ABB has recently won a US$ 120-million order to supply the
transmission system for the HVDC (high-voltage
direct current) Cross-Sound Cable subsea power
interconnection linking Connecticut and Long Island,
New York, in the U.S.
The order for the 330-megawatt, 40-kilometer link was placed by TransÉnergie
U.S. Ltd., a subsidiary of TransÉnergie, the transmission division
of Hydro-Québec, Canada. The link is scheduled to begin operation
by May, 2002.
Under the terms of the contract, ABB will provide a complete HVDC
Light transmission system. The system is made up
of high-tech extruded cables buried under the seabed,
with a converter station at each end of the link.
The stations convert electricity from alternating
current used in the local power grids to direct current
for efficient power transmission enabling the operators
to control the flow of power accurately and rapidly
in both direction.
The Cross-Sound link is expected to improve the
reliability of power supply in the Connecticut and
New England power grids, while providing urgently
needed electricity to Long Island. The HVDC Light
connection is also designed to promote competition
in the New York and New England electricity markets
by enabling electricity to be traded among power
generators and customers in both regions.
The Cross-Sound Cable subsea power interconnection
follows close on the heels of ABB's two most recent
HVDC Light installations. The first links Texas,
U.S. to Mexico at Eagle Pass (see separate article
in this issue of PowerLink). The second, called
Directlink, connects the New South Wales and Queensland,
Australia
electricity grids, allowing power to be traded between
the two states for the first time.
Original
Press Release at ABB.com
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