Hitachi’s Transmission Project Stabilizes RE Supply To Australian Power Grid

Hitachi Energy Plans To Invest $4.5 Bn In Clean Energy By 2027

Switzerland-based Hitachi Energy was recently selected by Marinus Link Pty Ltd (MLPL), jointly owned by the Australian, Tasmanian, and Victorian governments to supply a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) project. This project is expected to augment the connection between mainland Australia and Tasmania’s grid.

The transmission project is an approximately 345-kilometer cable route HVDC system and is expected to enable the flow of renewable power in both directions between the Victorian and Tasmanian states. This project claims to use, Marinus Link advanced converter technology at both ends of the link in Australia. This project is expected to stabilize and integrate renewables into the power grid. The connection is expected to enable the Australian Tasmanian state to import excess supply of solar and wind produced in Victoria. It does to while reserving its hydro and storing the extra energy.

Clean hydropower can then feed the mainland grid when it is needed most, acting as a large battery for the nation. Moreover, it strengthens the security of supply in the Australian power grid in which electricity is increasingly generated from sustainable energy.

Hitachi Energy is expected to supply its HVDC Light® voltage source converter (VSC) stations in the first stage of the project. It would then convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) for efficient, long-distance transmission and DC to AC, where the electricity is returned to the grid. Upon completion of both project stages, Marinus Link will have a total capacity of 1,500 megawatts (MW), equal to the power needed for 1.5 million Australian homes. In line with Australia’s Net Zero ambitions, as coal-fueled generation is retired, this link will result in saving up to 140 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2050, equal to taking approximately 1 million cars off the road.

Australia has committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The lowest-cost pathway for secure and reliable electricity is from renewable energy, connected by efficient transmission systems, supported by storage and pumped hydro.

Marinus Link is a project of national significance that will play a fundamental role in the two states’ energy ecosystem in which power infrastructure requires a major overhaul to satisfy the growing electrical demands and guarantee a constant and reliable power flow through Australia’s transition to renewable energy. Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects. Today, the company has the largest installed base of HVDCs in the world.