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Hitachi Energy will deliver a first-of-its-kind ‘substation-to-substation’ digital solution as part of the 400 kV Al Dhafra switching station project through Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company.
Hitachi Energy will deliver a first-of-its-kind ‘substation-to-substation’ digital solution as part of the 400 kV Al Dhafra switching station project through Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company.
Claudio Facchin. — Supplied photo
Claudio Facchin. — Supplied photo

Dubai - HVDC interconnection will transport energy using overhead power lines and subsea cable across Red Sea.

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Sandhya D'Mello

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Published: Fri 15 Oct 2021, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sun 17 Oct 2021, 6:53 PM

Technology leader in energy transmission, Hitachi Energy — formerly known as ABB Power Grids — is committed to advancing a sustainable energy future in the UAE and the region, said the company’s Global CEO, Claudio Facchin.

The global brand was lead in a consortium that has been awarded a major contract from the Saudi Electricity Company and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. The award is for the first-ever large-scale High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnection in the Mena, enabling Saudi Arabia and Egypt to exchange up to 3,000 MW of electricity — much of which is expected to be generated from renewable energy sources in the future.


The HVDC interconnection will transport electricity at 500 kV along 1,350km using overhead power lines and a subsea cable across the Red Sea. The power will be able to flow in multiple directions between the three terminals — for instance, from Tabuk to Badr — but also simultaneously from Tabuk to Medina.

The company invented commercial HVDC technology almost seven decades ago and power systems use direct current for transmission of bulk power over long distances. The connection supports the flow of power in multiple directions between three terminals and will be the first interconnection allowing the exchange of electric power between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.


This is a groundbreaking intercontinental link enabling the exchange of electricity, increase grid resilience and support a carbon-neutral future.

“The carbon-neutral energy system will be highly interconnected and HVDC, a technology we have pioneered is one of the key enablers for bulk renewable energy resources integration and reliable interconnection across countries, regions, and continents,” said Facchin, who was recently on a visit to the UAE for attending 23rd Wetex and sixth Dubai Solar Show. “The HVDC has made a foray into the region and maybe adopted on a wider scale as we race towards offering better services to our partners and customers.”

The company will also deliver a first-of-its-kind ‘substation-to-substation’ digital solution as part of the 400 kV Al Dhafra switching station project through Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company (Transco). The solution provides utilities with high-quality data for fast and efficient decision making enabling a safer working environment.

The business formally registered Hitachi Energy on June 30, 2021, and is currently undertaking the formal process for the change of names globally, with the exception of China where the business will transition at a later date. Hitachi Ltd. has an 80.1 per cent stake in the joint venture which started operations on July 1, 2020, and ABB Ltd. holds the balance. “At Hitachi Energy, we are championing the urgency of a clean energy transition, through innovation and collaboration. There are many pathways towards a carbon-neutral future — to tackle this global challenge, we nurture diverse global teams bringing authentic passion and enduring ownership,” said Facchin.

“By 2050, global electrification will near double in demand and electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system. At Hitachi Energy, we have pioneered many of the technologies needed for advancing a sustainable energy future for all – and we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation. Delivering on the promise of a carbon-neutral future will take passion, trust, and innovation – and the benefits will be for our generations and those to come.”

Transportation is an integral part of the exciting journey towards sustainable cities in the future. Behind the scenes at Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, is an advanced digital SCADA system from Hitachi Energy that continuously monitors and controls hundreds of thousands of data points, in real-time, and provides analytics that supports decision making to optimise operations and prevent any risk of outages.

To improve energy efficiency and offer electrical stability in the UAE’s world-famous, Burj Khalifa — the tallest building in the world, which has the power needs of a small town — Hitachi Energy supplied specially designed 72 Resibloc dry-type transformers with a flexible enclosure to fit in a tight space.

As the market leader in HVDC, Hitachi Energy is contributing to many interconnections including the start of operation of the North Sea Link (NSL) at 720 kilometres. NSL is the world’s longest subsea interconnector linking Norway and the UK, enabling the exchange of renewable energy between the countries.

“Hitachi Energy has set targets to become carbon-neutral in its own operations and it expects to hit the first-step target achieving 100 per cent fossil-free electricity in its own operations by 2022,” he concluded.

— sandhya@khaleejtimes.com


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