The Garabi converter station enables power exchange between Argentina and Brazil, which is normally not possible as Argentina's power system operates at 50 Hz, and Brazil's operates at 60 Hz. The transmission system comprises 490 kilometres of alternating current overhead lines between the substations in northern Argentina and southern Brazil and the HVDC converter station at Garabi in Brazil, near the border.
The station began full commercial operation in 2000 and, after more than 20 years of operation, the control and protection system will be upgraded with the latest MACH technology from Hitachi Energy, which enables a high degree of integration and handling for all control and protection functions. This will be the first HVDC upgrade in Brazil and will secure the electricity supply for the future while increasing reliability and availability.
“Our transmission systems have been helping to secure power in Brazil for decades” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “We are proud to support Taesa by providing our cutting-edge HVDC control system and Hitachi Energy Service solutions, making the link more secure. Based on almost 70 years of experience, our services will extend the system lifetime and improve its availability and reliability.”
HVDC systems are commonly used for large-scale transmission and exchange of electricity over large distances between two HVDC converter stations, but the Garabi HVDC converter station is a back-to-back system in a single location. Back-to-back stations utilise the sophisticated, digital controllability of an HVDC system to precisely manage the flow and properties of the electricity supply, providing many benefits for grid control and stability.
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