WINNIPEG — The contractors for the specialized power converter stations component of the Manitoba Hydro Bipole III transmission project have announced the successful completion of their work.
Siemens and Mortenson were working as a consortium to install a set of 500-kilovolt Bipole III high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) power converter stations for Manitoba Hydro, an integral part of the transmission project, noted an Aug. 28 release.
The release said the transmission line will bolster the reliability of Manitoba’s electricity supply by reducing dependence on existing HVDC transmission lines and converter stations, and also ensure low-loss transport of renewable hydropower from northern generating stations.
HVDC converter stations are specialized substations that support the conversion of electric power from high voltage alternating current (AC) to high-voltage direct current (HVDC), or vice versa, a critical component to interconnecting separate power systems, the release said.
The Bipole III converter stations include the Keewatinohk Converter Station in northern Manitoba near Hudson Bay and the Riel Converter Station near Winnipeg. The converter stations have a transmission capacity of 2,000 megawatts, enough to meet over 40 per cent of the province’s peak electricity demand.
The statement explained that since HVDC transmission suffers much lower electricity losses than standard AC transmission, it’s the ideal technology to use when electricity must be transported over long distances.
The Siemens and Mortenson consortium was responsible for the turnkey supply of the HVDC converter equipment and associated facilities, with Siemens delivering the system design and the manufacturing, supply and commissioning of the core HVDC technology while Mortenson provided design support and construction services for the supporting infrastructure, including converter station building, AC filters and DC switchyards.
Siemens is based in Oakville, Ont. while Mortensen is headquartered in Minnesota.
“Siemens is a global leader in HVDC technology as Mortenson is in construction. With this combination of expertise and a joint effort within our organizations and Manitoba Hydro, we were able to complete this critical and challenging project on time and on budget,” said Faisal Kazi, president and CEO of Siemens Canada, in the statement.
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