RXPE (RXHK since 2017)'s Yunnan 1GW Smart VSC-HVDC Goes Into Operation

On 29th August 2016 China Southern Grid (CSG) took over operational control of the 1GW Back to Back VSC HVDC converter that is part of the hybrid VSC and LCC HVDC converter station at Luxi in Yunnan province developed by CSG to connect the asynchronous Yunnan and CSG main grid together. 

The successful completion of the full power test run twenty days later marked the end of a journey for the RXPE team that had started 22 months earlier with the award of a contract to supply a 350kV 1GW VSC HVDC converter for the project.

As part of the delivery process the valve underwent type testing in accordance with IEC 62501 (2014ed) under the supervision of DNV GL.

 The VSC HVDC converter is arranged as a symmetric monopole and is designed to operate in both HVDC and STATCOM modes. When operating as an HVDC converter it can deliver 1GW of active power and up to 300Mvar of reactive power. In STATCOM mode it can deliver 400Mvar of reactive power.

 It is currently the world’s largest rating VSC HVDC monopole converter station in operation.