Hitachi Energy has won a major order from TenneT and TransnetBW, two of Germany’s four transmission system operators, to supply a transmission solution for the Suedlink DC4 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection between the north and south of the country.

SuedLink DC4 will play a crucial role in Germany’s energy transition, enabling a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and helping the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

Using Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light technology, SuedLink DC4 will transfer up to 2,000 megawatts of emission-free electricity, enough to power five million German households.

The link will transmit electricity for 550 kilometers underground, at ±525 kilovolts, sending wind power from the north to the industrial south or, alternatively, solar power from the south to the north when needed.

“We are proud to play a crucial role in this very important investment in Germany’s transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality,” says Niklas Persson, managing director of Hitachi Energy’s grid integration business. “HVDC Light is the enabling technology for large-scale transfers of renewable energy, both onshore and offshore.”

Hitachi Energy will supply an HVDC Light converter station at each end of SuedLink DC4 to convert AC power from the transmitting grid to DC power for delivery through the link, and back to AC for transfer to the receiving grid. The contract includes three cable section stations to speed up fault detection in the link.

As part of its long-term commitment to Germany’s energy transition, Hitachi Energy has recently won or completed orders for solutions that integrate large-scale renewables.

These include the converter stations for the NordLink HVDC interconnector between Germany and Norway, the converter stations for the connection of the 900MW DolWin5 offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, the Kriegers Flak Combined Grid Solution which connects the German power grids with two offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and Denmark, and power solutions to enable more renewable energy to flow from north to south Germany.