Hitachi and Adani Commission World's Largest HVDC City Center Infeed in Mumbai

Hitachi and Adani Commission World's Largest HVDC City Center Infeed in Mumbai​

Hitachi Energy and Adani Energy Solutions Ltd. (AESL) have successfully commissioned one of the world's largest High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) city center infeed in Mumbai. The project significantly strengthens the city's electrical infrastructure, boosting power supply from outside the city by 50 percent and increasing reliable power access to over 20 million people.

The new HVDC link is set to inject up to 1,000 megawatts (MW) of secure and clean power directly into Mumbai, marking a major step-change in the megacity's energy resilience. By connecting through the Kudus-Aarey link, the development substantially reinforces the city's transmission backbone.

Technological Breakthrough for Urban Energy​

Utilizing Hitachi Energy's Voltage Source Converter (VSC) HVDC technology, the new infrastructure provides precise and fast control over power flow, improving voltage stability and overall grid reliability in a highly dense urban environment.

The Aarey converter station upgrade represents the city's most significant grid modernization in nearly 25 years. The project boosts the grid capacity from 250 MW to 1,000 MW, directly enhancing energy security and stability.

Industry leaders emphasized the project's role in climate action. Kandarp Patel, CEO of Adani Energy Solutions Ltd., stated that the HVDC city center infeed is a critical enabler of the Mumbai Climate Action Plan. He added that by expanding access to clean power, the project supports the city's decarbonization objectives for homes, businesses, transport systems, and digital infrastructure.

Overcoming Urban Constraints​

Executing such a large-scale transmission project in a busy megacity required exceptional engineering and logistics. The solution combined overhead lines with underground HVDC cables, enabling the construction within extremely tight urban constraints and freeing approximately 2 square kilometers of urban territory.

Niklas Persson, CEO of Grid Integration Business Unit at Hitachi Energy, noted that the Mumbai HVDC city center infeed showcases Hitachi Energy's capability in delivering technically complex and space-constrained transmission infrastructure for major global population centers.

N Venu, Managing Director and CEO of Hitachi Energy India Limited, highlighted the significance of the commissioning. He stated that the project pushes the boundaries of transmission technology in one of the world's most complex urban settings, bringing cleaner, more reliable power to millions.

Future Grid Development​

The successful commissioning provides a scalable model for other Indian and global megacities. The compact footprint of the HVDC application, its ability to transmit power underground in restricted corridors, and its inherent advantages in power quality control offer solutions to similar multiplying power demands, land permitting, and grid integration challenges.

Hitachi Energy has a long history in developing HVDC infrastructure in India. The company introduced this technology with the Rihand-Dadri HVDC transmission system in 1990. It continues to support India's renewable energy goals by executing major transmission corridors, including:

• 950-km, 6,000 MW HVDC connection from the renewable energy zone in Bhadla/Rajasthan to Fatehpur/UP.
• 1,200-km, 6,000 MW link from Khavda to Nagpur.

To further support the execution of these projects and global initiatives, Hitachi Energy inaugurated an advanced power electronics factory in Chennai in 2023, enhancing local production capacity for HVDC and power quality solutions.

POWERINDIA Stock Price Movement​

On Friday, shares of Hitachi Energy India Limited slipped 0.30%, closing the session at ₹28325. Despite recording a daily volume of 214,351 shares, the stock's decline occurred after it had recently set a dominant 52-week high of ₹28860.

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