3. Location
Country New Zealand
General direction South-North
From Benmore Hydroelectric Power Station,
near Otematata, Canterbury
To Haywards transmission substation, Lower
Hutt
the HVDC link starts at the Benmore Hydroelectric Power Station, on the Waitaki River
in Canterbury, on the South Island, and then it travels 534 kilometres (332 mi) on an
overhead transmission line through inland Canterbury and Marlborough to Fighting Bay in
the Marlborough Sounds. From Fighting Bay, the link travels 40 km via submarine
cables underneath Cook Strait to Oteranga Bay, near Wellington, before travelling the final
37 km on overhead lines to Haywards transmission substation in Lower Hutt.
HVDC inter-island.
4. CONSTRUCTION
• Manufacturer of substations : ABB group and Seimens
• HVDC inter-island 1 :1965
• HVDC inter-island 2 :1992
• HVDC inter-island 3 :2013
5. Name HVDC inter-island 1
Type Bipole HVDC powerline
with overhead transmission
line and submarine power
cables underneath the Cook Strait
Type of current HVDC
Total length 610 km (380 mi)
Power rating 600 MW
voltage 270 kV
remarks Built as 250 kV 600 MW link
Paralleled to operate at 270 kV as
positive pole with HVDC Inter-
Island 2 in 1992.
Partially decommissioned in 2007,
fully decommissioned in August
2012.
Technical information
6. Name HVDC inter-island 2
Type Bipole HVDC powerline
with overhead transmission
line and submarine power
cables underneath the Cook Strait
Type of current HVDC
Total length
610 km (380 mi)
Power rating 700MW
voltage 350KV
Remarks Negative pole, operates in bipole
configuration with HVDC Inter-
Island 3 (previously HVDC Inter-
Island 1)
Restricted to 500 MW due to cable
7. Name HVDC inter-island 3
Type Bipole HVDC powerline
with overhead transmission
line and submarine power
cables underneath the Cook Strait
Type of current HVDC
Total length 610 km (380 mi)
Power rating 735MW
Voltage 350KV
Remarks Positive pole, operates in bipole
configuration with HVDC Inter-
Island 2
8.
9. Submarine cables
HVDC 350 kV submarine cable cross section. Overall diameter 13 cm/5 in.The three submarine power cables installed in 1991 are
each rated to carry 1430 A continuously at 350 kV operating voltage. They are constructed with a compacted multi-strand copper
conductor as a central core, with mass-impregnated paper insulation surrounded by a lead sheath. Two layers of galvanised steel
wire armour provides strength and mechanical protection. The outer layer of the cable is a serving made from polypropylene rope
and the outer diameter is approximately 130 mm. The cables have a 30-minute overload capacity of 1600 A
Sample cross-section of HVDC line conductor
HVDC 350 kV submarine
cable cross section. Overall
diameter 13 cm/5 in.
10. +500 kV, 2500 MW HVDC Ballia – Bhiwadi
Transmission Link.
Pole 1 Commissioned on 31-03 10
Main Data:
Power rating : 2500 MW
No. of Poles : 2
AC Voltage : 400 kV
DC Voltage : + 500 kV
Length of over head DC line : 780
Km.
Converter Transformer Ballia : 8 x
498 MVA
Bhiwadi :8 x 498 MVA
11. System Salient Features:
(i) Bi-Pole + 500 kV, 2500 MW
HVDC 780 km Transmission
lines from Ballia (Eastern part
of India) to Bhiwadi (Northern
part of India) of Indian Grid.
(ii) (ii) Each pole power carrying
capacity is 1250 MW.
(iii) (iii) During unfavorable
weather condition, operation at
70% to 80% DC voltage is
possible.
(iv) (iv) Reverse power flow
capability is available.
12. Switchable Configuration of Spare
Converter Transformer
Arrangement of Spare
Converter Transformer for
quick restoration of Pole in
case of failure of Converter
Transformer.
Each Pole is having a
dedicated Spare Converter
Transformer with switching
arrangement.
Transformer Configuration
being used for the first time.