Hitachi Energy has signed contracts exceeding €2 billion with Amprion, the German transmission system operator, for the development of four converter stations associated with two high voltage direct current (HVDC) links. This agreement follows a capacity reservation made in September 2023, where Hitachi was selected as the preferred supplier for converter stations at grid connection points in Heide, Wilhelmshaven, Polsum, and Hamm.
Korridor B: A High-Power Transmission Solution
The HVDC links, referred to as V48 and V49, comprise Korridor B, a high-capacity transmission corridor designed to transport clean energy from onshore and offshore wind farms in northern Germany. This initiative aims to replace conventional power generation methods currently used in industrial load centers in the western regions of the country.
Hendrik Neumann, CTO of Amprion, stated, “With Korridor B, we will make an important contribution to the security of supply in Germany and Europe in the future. The project will facilitate the transportation of green electricity to millions of households and industries in North Rhine-Westphalia starting in the early 2030s.”
Supporting Germany’s Decarbonization Goals
Niklas Persson, Managing Director of the Business Unit Grid Integration at Hitachi Energy, emphasized the project’s crucial role in achieving Germany’s decarbonization targets. “Without the grid capacity to move wind energy from the north to areas that are still reliant on fossil fuels in the south and west, the country cannot achieve decarbonization within the targeted timeframe,” he noted.
Project Overview
Korridor B includes two new underground cable connections, each featuring two converter stations that will transport electricity from the North Sea coast in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony to the Ruhr region. The contracts also encompass Hitachi Energy’s EnCompass service offering, highlighting the company’s commitment to long-term partnerships and its proven capability in delivering innovative energy solutions.
Under the terms of the contracts, Hitachi Energy will supply, install, and commission two HVDC Light® converter systems, each capable of transmitting 2 GW of power. These converters will operate at 525 kilovolts (kV), which has been established as the standard voltage for the latest generation of HVDC links. The converter stations are scheduled to begin operations in early 2030.
