Case Study 1 – East West Interconnector
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The 500 MW East-West Interconnector HVDC Light® trans-mission system will connect the grids of Ireland and Wales.
This is the first HVDC Light project to use ±200 kV cables and the link is about 260 km long.
Ireland has plans to expand the wind power generation and the link will facilitate addition of renewables and give the possibility to export excess energy to the UK market and vice versa. The new link will also enchance security of supply in the Irish grid and allow Ireland and Britain access to more competition.
Additional customer benefits, due to the choice of the HVDC Light technology, are “black start”, a way of restoring power after a blackout without the aid of external energy sources, and active AC voltage support.
DATA
Connection point Irish grid: Woodland
sea cable landing: Rush North Beach, Co. Dublin
Connection point British grid: Deeside
sea cable landing: Barkby Beach, North Wales
Operator: Eirgrid, Ireland
Commercial operation: 2012
Transmission technology: HVDC Light® by ABB
Transmission capacity: 500 MW
DC voltage: ± 200 kV
AC voltage: 400 kV
Cable route length: 261 km
– 186 km with parallel submarine cables
– 75 km with parallel land cables
Featured submarine cable
– Extruded polymer insulated cable
– Conductor 1650 mm2 copper
– Steel armoring
– Diameter 117 mm
– Weight 39 kg/m
Featured land cable
– Extruded polymer insulated cable
– Conductor 2210 mm2 aluminum
– Diameter 107 mm
– Weight 12 kg/m
HVDC Light® converter stations: Convert alternate current (AC) to direct current (DC) and on the other side DC to AC.
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Millennium Business Park
Cappagh Road
Ballycoolin
Dublin 11
Tel: +353 1 864 9800
Fax: +353 1 864 9854
Email: info@gmcirl.com
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