 
ABB in U.S. power link between Connecticut and Long Island
HVDC Light technology key to 40-kilometer
subsea link
Zurich, Switzerland, August 30, 2000 - ABB, the global
technology company, has won a US$ 120-million order
to supply the transmission system for the HVDC (high-voltage
direct current) Cross-Sound Cable subsea power interconnection
linking Connecticut and Long Island, New York, in
the U.S.
The order for the 330-megawatt, 40-kilometer link
was placed by TransÉnergie U.S. Ltd., a subsidiary
of TransÉnergie, the transmission division
of Hydro-Québec, Canada. The link is scheduled
to begin operation by May, 2002.
Under the terms of the contract, ABB will provide
a complete HVDC Light transmission system. The system
is made up of high-tech extruded cables buried under
the seabed, with a converter station at each end of
the link. The stations convert electricity from alternating
current used in the local power grids to direct current
for efficient power transmission over longer distances.
The Cross-Sound Cable subsea power interconnection
follows close on the heels of ABB’s two most
recent HVDC Light installations. The first links Texas,
U.S., to Mexico at Eagle Pass. The second, called
Directlink, connects the New South Wales and Queensland,
Australia electricity grids, allowing power to be
traded between the two states for the first time.
ABB’s HVDC Light technology uses high-power semiconductors,
which when coupled with advanced cables, transmit
electricity over long distances with lower losses
and lower investment needs than conventional HVDC
power transmission systems. It is equipped with measurement
and control systems that enable power trading, making
it especially suitable for deregulating and privatized
power markets.
The Cross-Sound link is expected to improve the reliability
of power supply in the Connecticut and New England
power grids, while providing urgently needed electricity
to Long Island. The HVDC Light connection is also
designed to promote competition in the New York and
New England electricity markets by enabling electricity
to be traded among power generators and customers
in both regions.
The ABB Group ( www.abb.com
) serves customers in power transmission and distribution;
automation; oil, gas, and petrochemicals; building
technologies; and in financial services. With novel
IT applications, tailored software solutions, growing
eBusiness and a fast-expanding knowledge and service
base, ABB is building links to the new economy. The
ABB Group employs about 160,000 people in more than
100 countries. (END)
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