Hitachi Energy to secure power supply in Africa’s longest HVDC link
November 2022
Electrical Power & Protection
News
Hitachi Energy has signed a long-term service agreement with Société Nationale d’Électricité (SNEL), the national electricity company of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to secure power supply in the country’s most important power transmission asset: the Inga-Kolwezi high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link.
The link supplies up to 1000 megawatts of emission-free electricity from the Inga Falls hydropower plant in the far west of the country to the Kolwezi mining region in the south. With a length of 1700 kilometres, it is the longest HVDC link in Africa. It also enables the DRC to export surplus power to the member countries of the Southern African Power Pool, which currently comprise Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The agreement continues the close collaboration between SNEL and Hitachi Energy over the past 40 years to ensure the link operates at maximum availability and reliability over its long operating life. Hitachi supplied the two converter stations at either end of the link in 1982 and has subsequently upgraded them and doubled transmission capacity.
As part of the agreement, Hitachi Energy will assess the precise service needs of the converter stations, develop a preventive maintenance programme and supervise its implementation over the next five years. The agreement includes training, knowledge sharing and expertise enhancement of SNEL service personnel.
“We are delighted to be continuing our long collaboration with SNEL to protect the nation’s investment in its most important power transmission link,” said Andreas Berthou, HVDC and HVDC Service global product group manager at Hitachi Energy. “This long-term service agreement demonstrates how we work closely with the customer to secure availability and reliability over the entire lifetime of the asset.”
“Hitachi Energy has been a close and valued partner of SNEL for almost 50 years, when we first collaborated on the design of what was then a ground-breaking HVDC link with the world’s longest transmission line,” said Jean-Bosco Kayombo Kayan, CEO of SNEL. “Since then, we have worked closely together to increase the capacity and maximise the reliability of this critical national infrastructure.”
For more information contact Jocelyn Chang, Hitachi Energy, +41 79 384 7775, [email protected], www.hitahienergy.com
Further reading:
Power portfolio with enhanced static transfer switch for critical applications
Electrical Power & Protection
Vertiv has launched the Vertiv PowerSwitch 7000, a next-generation static transfer switch that strengthens the company’s position as a complete power solutions provider.
Read more...
Why utilities must prioritise maintenance of SA’s remote data
Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
The story of power generation is more than meets the eye. Beyond energy distribution and the infrastructure are invisible, point of presence data centres located the remotest parts of our country that play a fundamental role in keeping systems running
Read more...
The house that revolutionises substations
WEG Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Traditional substations have major drawbacks in terms of their construction and resilience. One solution is the E-house, a prefabricated, customised and transportable steel structure designed to house a range of electrical and automation equipment.
Read more...
STEMulator – a gift to the youth of the nation
Editor's Choice News
STEMulator is a groundbreaking virtual platform designed to ignite the spark of curiosity in young minds and stimulate their interest in STEM subjects.
Read more...
Localised inverter-integrated transformer
Electrical Power & Protection
ACTOM, South Africa’s largest manufacturer, repairer and distributor of electromechanical equipment, is launching a breakthrough in renewable energy integration with its localised inverter-integrated transform
Read more...
Steinmüller Africa integrates advanced technologies at Mondi’s boiler project
Electrical Power & Protection
Steinmüller Africa is leading a boiler project at Mondi’s Richards Bay mill. The 18-month undertaking showcases the company’s blend of engineering excellence and cutting-edge technology.
Read more...
ABB innovation for energy efficiency and sustainability
Electrical Power & Protection
The application of sensor technology to reduce the operational and standby power losses of traditional current and voltage transformers can lead to energy savings of 181 MWh over a 30-year period, the lifetime of a typical switchboard in the African environment.
Read more...
UPS systems are key to keeping SA’s automotive industry up and running
Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
During loadshedding, PLCs and OT systems often fail, not because they are directly tied to the factory’s core manufacturing process, but because they are now an integral part of IT infrastructure. When an IT system shuts down, the impact is far more complex than simply restarting machinery.
Read more...
ACTOM advances energy infrastructure
Electrical Power & Protection
At this critical juncture where South Africa is poised to modernise its power infrastructure, ACTOM’s Engineering Projects and Contracts (EPC) Division showcased its capabilities for the first time at Enlit Africa 2025.
Read more...
Advanced contactor solution to revolutionise motor management
Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has launched the TeSys Deca Advanced, an advanced contactor solution designed to revolutionise motor management with unparalleled efficiency, reliability, simplicity and sustainability.
Read more...
printer friendly version