July 16, 2014 – ABB has won an order worth about $400 million from NSP Maritime Link Inc., a subsidiary of Emera Inc., to supply a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission solution, which it says will create the first electricity link between the island of Newfoundland and the North American power grid.

According to ABB, the connection will enable 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, it added.

“ABB pioneered HVDC and is a global leader in this key transmission technology which is being increasingly deployed across a range of applications,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “Our innovative solution for this project will help integrate clean renewable energy, facilitate the efficient transmission of electricity, improve grid stability and enable power sharing.”

“We are glad to provide Emera with an optimized solution responding to our customer’s needs and that represents the best-in-class technology. This is an important new chapter in the power transmission industry for Canada and North America and we are committed to continue to provide excellence in this field,” added Anders Hultberg, senior vice president, Power Systems for ABB in Canada.

The Maritime Link will deploy ABB’s HVDC Light Voltage Source Conversion (VSC) technology incorporating a full VSC bipolar configuration to help further enhance system availability. In addition to the two converter stations for the ±200kV HVDC link, the project scope also includes two 230kV AC substations in Newfoundland, one 345kV AC substation in Nova Scotia and two cable transition stations.

The project is scheduled for commissioning in 2017.

Photos courtesy ABB.