ZURICH, Switzerland (Jan. 10, 2017)—ABB has teamed up with India’s national electricity grid operator, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), in a mega project worth more than $640 million, according to a statement from ABB.
The deal calls for ABB to deliver a transmission link that will have the capacity to bring reliable electricity to more than 80 million people. The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will connect Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The 1,830-kilometer (km) link will be among the longest in the world, according to ABB. With a capacity of 6,000 megawatts—the equivalent of more than six large power plants—it will be enough to meet the electricity needs of more than 80 million people in India.
The two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high-consumption centers located thousands of kilometers away, supporting electricity demands in the south, when wind strength is low, and transmitting clean energy to the north, when there is excess wind power.
“ABB is honored to partner with POWERGRID for this smart long distance transmission project,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “Delivering reliable electricity to India’s energy demand centers is a top priority for the Indian government to support the country’s impressive growth momentum. ABB is strongly committed to India for more than a century, and with this new long-distance transmission link we are delivering the benefits from the energy revolution to the country, building on the strength of our strong local manufacturing footprint.”