Transmission Developers Inc., A Blackstone renewable power developer, picked Hitachi Energy to supply a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station that will be a key part of the transmission solution for the Champlain Hudson Power Express HVDC interconnection between Québec and the New York City area.
The link will enable the delivery of renewable hydropower between Canada and New York, contributing to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which aims for the state to be powered by 70 percent renewable energy by 2030. CHPE is expected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 3.9 million metric tons per year, equivalent to removing 44 percent of passenger vehicles from New York City.
Using Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light technology, CHPE will transfer up to 1,250 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1 million New York households. The link will efficiently transmit electricity for more than 600 kilometers (372 miles) underground from Hertel, Canada, through Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, to an HVDC converter station in Astoria, Queens.
Power requirements in cities are increasing, especially in densely populated areas where land is already scarce, and difficulties can arise when new rights-of-way must be secured for traditional transmission lines. HVDC technology enables large amounts of high-quality electricity to be delivered where it is most needed with complete control and with a very compact footprint using underground or underwater cables.
The complete CHPE system, of which the HVDC converter stations are the enabling technology, is expected to create more than 1,400 jobs during construction and, during the first 30 years of operation, deliver almost $50 billion in economic benefits to New York state.
For the New York site, Hitachi Energy will supply the HVDC Light converter station, that will convert the DC power from Canada to AC power and make it available for the AC grid in New York.
Engineering and construction firm Kiewit will be responsible for the civil works for the converter station in New York. The collaboration with Kiewit will combine the core competencies of the two companies to deliver a best-in-class solution.
