World’s longest power transmission link commissioned 28 August 2014 28 August 2014

Power and automation technology group ABB has announced it has successfully commissioned the longest transmission link in the world, developed to bring electricity from two hydropower plants in the northwest of Brazil to São Paulo, the country's main economic center.

The company said it has commissioned the HVDC converter stations to the Rio Madeira High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link in Brazil and delivered the project to Abengoa. The approximately 2,400 kilometers (km), 3,150 megawatt (MW) power connection will deliver electricity from the Jirau and Santo Antonio projects being developed as part of the Rio Madeira hydro complex.

“This HVDC link will help integrate remotely located renewable energy and transmit clean electricity, reliably and efficiently across this massive distance with minimum losses, to millions of consumers" said Claudio Facchin, head of ABB's Power Systems business. "ABB is proud to continue partnering Brazil in its ongoing efforts to strengthen the country's power network."

Apart from the two 3,150 megawatt HVDC converter stations for the world record length link, ABB has also delivered an 800 megawatt HVDC back-to-back station that transmits power to the surrounding alternating current (AC) network in the northwest of Brazil.

These are the fourth and fifth transmission links using HVDC technology delivered by ABB in Brazil, succeeding the two Itaipu links, delivered in 1984 and 1987, and the two interconnections between Brazil and Argentina, delivered in 1999 and 2002.