Panel Session 2: High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Technology
Organiser – Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute
| Role | Name | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Ms. CHEN Lei | — |
| Co-Chair | Ms. LIN Youhui | — |
| Presenter | Mr. CHEN Mingcan | System Planning of High Voltage Direct Current Transmission Engineering |
| Presenter | Dr. WANG Qingjian | VSC-HVDC Transmission Technology and Challenges for Large-scale Offshore Wind Power |
| Presenter | Mr. HAN Kun | Key Technologies and Equipment Supporting High-Proportion New Energy DC External Transmission |
| Presenter | Ms. HU Xianlai | Grid-forming VSC-HVDC Transmissions Enable More Stable Future Power Systems |
Biography:
MS. CHEN Lei, Chair
Ms. Lei Chen is the Deputy General Manager of the International Branch of CEEC-GEDI and the Managing Director of GEDI-HK. She holds a Master’s degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and is a Senior Engineer, Fellow of the Energy Institute (FEI), Member of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (MHKIE), Registered Professional Engineer (RPE), and Registered First-Class Construction Engineer.
With 20 years of extensive experience, Ms. Chen specializes in the planning, design, construction, and project management of power infrastructure projects across China, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, and other international markets. She has played a key role in multiple VSC-HVDC projects, including:
– The KILO HVDC Transmission System (Chile),
– The Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines,
– The Qingzhou Offshore Wind Farm HVDC Transmission Project.
Additionally, she served as Project Director for the Enhancement of Clean Energy Transmission System and the Cross-Border Interconnection Project (adding a third transformer at the 400kV Shenzhen Substation).
In summary, Ms. Chen is a versatile leader and technical expert with strong competitive advantages in multidisciplinary integration and full-cycle project management.
MS. LIN Youhui, Co-Chair
Ms. Lin is the Senior technical expert of CEEC-GEDI and the Technical Advisor of GEDI’s Hong Kong Subsidiary. She holds a Master’s degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) and is a Professor-level Senior Engineer, Registered First-Class Construction Engineer, and Registered Consulting Engineer. With extensive experience in offshore wind power, nuclear power, gas-fired power plants, and international projects, she plays a key role in ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of power generation facility designs.
Summary of the System Planning of HVDC Transmission Engineering Presentation （Mr. Mingcan CHEN）
This presentation provides a general overview of system planning of high voltage direct current transmission systems. The content is divided into four main parts, including 1)Introduction of HVDC Transmission Projects, 2)Challenges and Solutions of DC and AC Interconnection, 3)System Scheme and Major Parameters of HVDC Projects, and 4)Typical Case of VSC-HVDC Transmission for Offshore Wind Power.
Firstly, introduces the basic concepts of HVDC transmission, compares the advantages and disadvantages between HVDC and HVAC transmission, and demonstrates some application scenarios for HVDC transmission. Secondly, it focus on the challenges of HVDC transmission and the impacts on the power system, and it also lists some typical solutions. In addition, it also includes the technical comparison between Conventional (LCC) HVDC and Flexible (VSC) HVDC. Afterwards, it demonstrates the system studies of HVDC transmission projects,which will include Necessity Study, Transmission Scheme Study, HVDC Interconnection Point Section and Grid interconnection Scheme Study, Conductor Cross-Section Section, Project Scale and System Requirement Study. At last, it shows the typical case of VSC-HVDC Transmission for Offshore Wind Power. It provides a general cost-benefit analysis based on the recent engineering and construction cost, demonstrating that for large-scale projects over approximately 90-100 km, VSC-HVDC becomes more economical than AC transmission and reduces submarine cable corridor space.
Biography:
Mr. Chen has a Master’s degree of Colorado School of Mines and he is currently working as a Power System Planning Engineer in the Energy Consulting and Planning Institute in Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute. He is responsible for or involved in the projects such as System Study and Risk Assessment of the Interconnected Systems Development and Operation Plan under the Background of Guangdong – Hong Kong Power System Interconnection (participated since 2023), Feasibility Study of the Kazakhstan North-South HVDC Project,and the studies on the Grid Interconnection of Yangjiang Sanshan Island V and Sanshan Island VI Offshore Wind Farm Projects.He has been working in the area of power system planning, feasibility studies of power grid projects including HVDC transmission projects, studies of power source system interconnection, and etc.
Key Technologies and Equipment Supporting High-Proportion New Energy DC External Transmission (Mr. Kun HAN)
High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission is recognized as a critical approach to addressing the reverse distribution of energy resources and load centers in China and achieving optimized allocation of power resources. With the accelerated development of a new power system dominated by renewable energy, conventional HVDC transmission technology is facing severe challenges, including weak grid support capability at the sending end and poor inertia and frequency regulation capability at the receiving end. Meanwhile, Voltage-Source Converter (VSC)-HVDC is increasingly demonstrating practical demands for enhanced capacity and performance, grid-friendly interaction, and digitalization and intelligence. In response to the expanding application scenarios and functional performance requirements of HVDC transmission, we have integrated advancements in new power devices, innovative topologies, and emerging technologies. Through improvements in conventional HVDC technology, performance enhancements in VSC-HVDC, advanced control strategies, and the application of digital and intelligent technologies, we have successively overcome multiple key technical challenges. This has enabled the successful development of a series of core HVDC equipment and yielded significant achievements in major engineering applications. Our goal is to provide a suite of leading solutions and high-end power equipment to support the large-scale transmission of renewable energy via HVDC systems.
Biography:
Mr. Han Currently serving as Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of XJ Electric Research Institute of Science and Technology, with a Master of Engineering from Zhejiang University and the title of Professor-level Senior Engineer. He holds positions such as Standing Director of the IEEE PES DC System Planning and Design Technical Committee, and Member of the New Energy Power Generation Equipment Committee of China Electrotechnical Society. He has long been engaged in the research on HVDC transmission technology and development of core equipment.
VSC-HVDC Transmission Technology and Challenges for Large-scale Offshore Wind Power (Dr. Qingjian WANG)
This presentation provides a general overview of VSC-HVDC transmission technology and challenges for largescale offshore wind power. The content is divided into four main parts, including 1) Development Overview of transmission technology for largescale offshore wind power 2) Engineering Practice of China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric power Design Institute CO., LTD 3) Key Technologies of lightweighting for converter platforms 4) Trends and Challenges of VSC-HVDC transmission for largescale offshore wind power.
It introduces the current development of offshore wind power of our country and Guangdong Provence, comparatively analyses current transmission solutions for offshore wind power，and reveals the issues of VSC-HVDC transmission. Secondly, it presents the engineering practice in Offshore wind power development of GEDI, namely Qingzhou V and VII offshore wind farm access and Yangjiang Sanshan Island offshore wind farm access. Afterwards, it proposes the key technologies of lightweighting for large-scale converter offshore platforms from different aspects, i.e. system design, compact and lightweight equipment, process-structural optimization, in-depth interdisciplinary collaborative design, etc. In conclusion, it summarizes the challenges and trends of VSC-HVDC transmission for largescale offshore wind power, and advances the further development aspects of VSC-HVDC transmission.
Biography:
Dr. Wang graduated with a Ph.D. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He currently serves as an Engineer in the Substation Department at the Power Grid Engineering Company of Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute. His primary responsibilities include leading or participating in the following key projects: Development of Multi-terminal Heterogeneous Novel Converter Topology and Equipment for Power Transmission from Offshore Wind Power Clusters, Research on Key Technologies for Engineering Application of Lightweight and Low-cost Transmission Systems in Large-scale Mid-far Sea Wind Farms, Yangjiang Sanshan Island Offshore Wind Power VSC-HVDC Transmission Project (Onshore Engineering)-New Construction Project of ±500kV Cable-to-Overhead Line Terminal Station. His main responsibilities include system topology and parameter design, electrical design of converter stations, etc.
Grid-forming VSC-HVDC Transmissions Enable More Stable Future Power Systems (Dr. Xianlai HU)
In the field of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-HVDC technology is gaining increasingly widespread application and development. This trend is largely attributed to its superior control flexibility and its proven capability to provide robust support to the main grid. However, the evolution toward future electric power systems, characterized by a high penetration of renewable energy sources, presents a set of complex challenges. The displacement of conventional synchronous generators by inverter-based resources leads to a series of critical issues, including a substantial reduction in system inertia, low short-circuit ratios, diminished short-circuit capacity, and weak system damping. These factors collectively contribute to a decline in overall system strength and stability.
To effectively address these challenges, the Grid-Forming (GFM) control strategy for VSC-HVDC has emerged as a highly promising solution. NR has established its own definitive framework for GFM technology, which is built upon two core principles. First, a true GFM system must be capable of establishing and maintaining a stable internal electromotive force, essentially acting as a voltage source. Second, the GFM converter should act with the external characteristics as a synchronous generator during transient processes.
The practical application of GFM strategies encompasses scenarios ranging from stabilizing isolated weak grids to providing synthetic inertia for systems with high renewable penetration. The significant advantages of GFM include its enhanced capability for system inertia control and its robust support for stability, improving both angular stability and voltage recovery. Despite these benefits, the practical engineering implementation faces challenges, such as ensuring stability under various grid conditions and optimizing the interaction with other grid assets. This presentation will also introduce NR’s accumulated hands-on engineering experience and project applications in the field of GFM VSC-HVDC, sharing valuable insights from real-world deployments.
Biography:
Ms. Hu is a senior HVDC R&D expert in the Research Institute of NR Electric Co., Ltd. With over a decade of experience in HVDC transmission, she has been primarily engaged in research on control and protection technologies as well as simulation methodologies for both VSC-HVDC and LCC-HVDC systems. She has contributed to the development of several major HVDC projects, including the Zhoushan Five-Terminal HVDC Project, the Zhangbei VSC-HVDC Project, the Bai-Jiang VSC-HVDC project, and the Tangxia Four-Terminal Back-to-Back HVDC Project. She also has research experience in the DPFC Project. Ms. Hu is CIGRE member and actively involved in CIGRE.