Maritime Link
HVDC Light® will facilitate integration of renewable energy and stabilize the electrical grid in northern Canada.
NSP Maritime Link Inc., a part of Emera Inc, has awarded ABB a contract to supply an HVDC Light® solution to create the first electricity link between the island of Newfoundland and North America.
The Maritime Link Project is a 500 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connection that will enable clean, renewable electricity generated in Newfoundland and Labrador to be transmitted to the North American grid in Nova Scotia. The stabilizing features of ABB’s latest HVDC Light® solution will also allow Nova Scotia to integrate additional renewables and contribute to Canada’s emission-reduction efforts.
The HVDC Light® Maritime Link is the first of its kind in the world with a full Voltage Source Converter (VSC) bipolar configuration, to enhance system availability. The converter stations will be equipped with the ABB AbilityTM based advanced MACHTM control and protection system which acts like the brain of the HVDC link. It monitors, controls and protects the sophisticated technology in the stations and manages thousands of operations to ensure power reliability. Its advanced fault registration and remote control functions also help protect the link from unexpected disruptions, such as lightning strikes.
In addition to the two converter stations for the ±200 kV HVDC link, the project scope also includes two 230 kV AC substations in Newfoundland, one 345 kV AC substation in Nova Scotia and two cable transition stations.
Main data
| Commissioning year: | 2019 |
| Power rating: | 500 MW |
| No. of poles: | 2 |
| AC voltage: | Newfoundland side: 230 kV Nova Scotia side: 345 kV |
| DC voltage: | ±200 kV |
| Length of overhead DC line: | 187 km |
| Length of DC submarine cable: | 170 km |
| Length of DC underground cable: | 1 km |
| Main reason for choosing HVDC: | Long distance, stabilizing features |
| Application: | Connecting remote generation and interconnecting grids |