Advances in HVDC technology have made it technically possible to transmit electricity efficiently and cheaply from remote locations at sear or in the desert to the urban areas where most of us live and work.
Supergrid will be developed and built using the next generation of HVDC technology, of installation vessels, and of marine generating plant. It will capture clean energy generation and deliver firm renew able power across the EU.
The full significance of a switchable HVDC innovation has not yet been appreciated by policy makers or by the business community. It is clear that a network incorporating a HVDC grid with the redundancy and reliability of current AC grids is now a reality and that the limits of what is technologically possible have been greatly expanded.
HVDC technology will open markets, strengthen security of supply and create another global opportunity for European companies to export sustainable energy technology. The technology underpinning the Supergrid will give competitive advantage to the companies involved with its specification and design. This type of integrated AC/DC grid will be a template for what will be needed in other global markets including the US and China.
