Siemens Wins Major HVDC Order to Connect British and Belgian Power Grid
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• Siemens HVDC Plus technology operates on a transmission voltage of ±400 kV DC
• Transmission capacity of 1,000 MW is enough to supply 500,000 households
• Available transmission capacity through interconnectors increased by 33 percent
Siemens has been awarded an order for a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system to connect the British and Belgian national grids via subsea cable. Siemens will be responsible for the turnkey installation of both converter stations using HVDC Plus technology with a transmission voltage of ±400 kilovolt (kV) DC. Customer is Nemo Link, a joined venture between the British grid operator National Grid and Belgian Transmission System Operator Elia Group, who together have founded this joint project. After its completion, Nemo Link will provide 1,000 megawatt (MW) of capacity, enough to power 500,000 households. The link will run 140 kilometers (km) between Richborough on the Kent coast and Zeebrugge near the city of Brugge with a combination of subsea and underground cables. Commercial operation of the link is scheduled for 2019. The contract also includes a service and maintenance agreement for a period of five years.
"We are very pleased to be working with Nemo Link on another landmark HVDC project that will support the integration of the European energy market," said Tim Dawidowsky, CEO of the Transmission Solutions Business Unit within Siemens Energy Management Division. "Siemens is a world leader in high-voltage direct current transmission and has installed projects using its HVDC Plus technology with a total capacity of 4.6 Gigawatt worldwide." Nemo Link has been designated as one of the European Commission's projects of common interest to help create an integrated European Union energy market. It will increase energy security in both countries and support the integration of renewable energy like offshore generated wind power.
Using subsea cables Nemo Link will connect two high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) electricity systems separated by the North Sea. The utilization of HVDC avoids the need to synchronize the two interconnected AC networks. Both converter stations will be using HVDC Plus voltage-sourced converters in a modular multilevel converter arrangement (VSC-MMC) that convert AC to DC and DC back to AC on the other side of the link. In contrast to line-commutated converter technology, the HVDC Plus system works with power transistors that can be also switched off (IGBT), enabling the commutation processes in the power converter to run independently of the grid voltage. The very fast control and protective intervention capabilities of the power converters provides a high level of stability in the transmission system, which primarily serves to reduce grid faults and disturbances in the three-phase AC network. This significantly increases supply reliability for utility companies and power customers.
Siemens HVDC Plus technology allows efficient transportation of electrical power over large distances and in particular for subsea applications with losses of around two percent excluding cable losses. It is also highly controllable and brings operational benefits to both transmission systems. The Nemo Link interconnector will allow power to flow in both directions and will be the third electricity connection between UK and Europe. The 1,000-MW-interconnector BritNed between UK and the Netherlands was also developed by Siemens and went into operation in 2011.
Interconnectors play a crucial role in the European Union's strategy to achieve a competitive and integrated European energy market. By allowing the UK and Belgium to trade power, the Nemo Link interconnector will increase security and diversify both countries' electricity supply. To meet international and domestic renewable and climate change targets, the UK and Belgium will generate more power from renewable sources, including offshore wind. By its nature, wind power generation is intermittent and interconnectors provide an effective way to manage these fluctuations in supply and demand.
For further information on Energy Management, please see www.siemens.com/energy-management
Contact for journalists
Sabrina Martin
Phone: +49 9131 737168; E-mail: sabrina.martin@siemens.com
Local contact for Belgium
Stéphanie Legay
Phone: + 32 (0)2 536 25 99, E-mail stephanie.legay@siemens.com
Local contact for UK
Emma Whitaker
Phone: +44 1159 066572, E-mail: emma.whitaker@siemens.com
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing basis. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
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