Capula providing control cubicles for Indian energy highway
Capula was recently awarded a contract to provide control cubicle build services to Alstom Grid for the second phase of a large scale high voltage direct current (HVDC) project connecting central and north India, creating a 1,365km ‘energy highway’.
HVDC systems are used for long-distance bulk transmission of electrical power in direct current, in contrast with more common alternating current (AC) systems as they are less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses.
This 800kV Ultra-High Voltage Direct Current (UHVDC) link runs in parallel with the first transmission link phase, for which Capula provided cubicle build services in 2013, and will increase the total transmission capacity of the advanced UHVDC system to 6,000MW.
The second phase will complete the 1,365km link between Champa in central India and Kurukshetra in northern India, transferring clean, bulk power efficiently from the Chhattisgarh region – a hub of Independent Power Producers of thermal power – to the load centre in the north.
Capula is building 24 cubicles for the project consisting of Bi-pole Control, Master Control, Converter Control and Protection (CCP) and Converter Control and Protection Interface (CCPI) enclosures. As with the cubicles for Phase 1 of the project, they will be produced to tight deadlines before being delivered to Alstom’s centre of excellence in Stafford for stringent testing and then onwards to site in India.
“Capula’s track record in the provision of cubicle build services, particularly for HVDC projects, is becoming an enviable one in the UK,” said Capula’s Transmission & Distribution Manager Chris Conn, “We are delighted to again be selected by Alstom to assist on this exciting contract, and look forward to extending our excellent relationship further in the future.”