HVDC > HVDC References > Asia > Three Gorges - Changzhou
The first of two HVDC power links to connect Three Gorges and eastern China.
ABB has built two HVDC converter stations for the first 3,000 MW ±500 kV high-voltage direct current power link to transmit electricity from the Three Gorges hydropower plant in central China to the coastal city of Shanghai and surrounding area. The transmission is owned by State Grid Corporation. The 850-kilometer power link came into commercial operation in 2003.
Valve hall in Zhengping | 
Longquan Converter Station |
The Three Gorges HVDC link more than triples the amount of power currently delivered from central China to the coast, from 1,200 megawatts (MW) to 4,200 MW. In 2004 ABB was awarded the converter stations for the second 3,000 MW HVDC transmission to Shanghai.
ABB's HVDC technology promotes more efficient use of energy resources by transmitting large power loads over long distances with low losses. The link helps to meet the growing demand for power in fast developing Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial center.
One HVDC converter station is located at Longquan, approximately 50 kilometers from the Three Gorges power plant, and the other, Zhengping, in the city of Changzhou, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Shanghai.
| Main data |  |
| Commissioning year: | 2002 Pole 1, 2003 Bipole |
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| Power rating: | 3 000 MW |
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| No. of poles: | 2 |
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| AC voltage: | 500 kV (both ends) |
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| DC voltage: | ±500 kV |
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| Length of overhead DC line: | 890 km |
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| Main reason for choosing HVDC: | Long distance, network stability, low losses, environmental concerns |
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