HVDC Light increases the reliability of power grids, and the technology extends the economical power range of HVDC transmission down to just a few tens of Megawatts (MW). In the upper range, the technology now reaches 1,800 MW and ±500 kV.
It is quick to install and provides an alternative to conventional AC transmission systems and local generation in several cases, such as:
Connecting wind farms to power grids
Underground power links
Providing shore power supplies to islands and offshore oil & gas platforms
Connecting asynchronous grids
City center infeed
Utilities are under extreme pressure to meet consumer and regulatory demands for a high quality, competitively priced power supply that has low environmental impact. The expansion of AC transmission capacity is often limited by local planning regulations and the concerns of local residents who object to the installation of new overhead lines.
It is now economically feasible to expand transmission capacity using underground HVDC cables. This approach not only minimizes environmental impact, it also improves the quality of the power supply.