HVDC: High Voltage Direct Current

High Voltage Direct Current is a method for transmitting electrical power using Direct Current (DC) instead of the more commonly-used Alternating Current (AC). It is becoming increasingly popular for transmitting energy over very long distances or for interconnecting asynchronous AC grids.

HVDC allows AC grids operating at different frequencies (for example 50Hz and 60Hz) to be interconnected, which is not possible with AC. HVDC also gives much greater controllability than AC transmission and can act as a "firewall" to prevent faults on one AC grid from propagating to another.

Two types of HVDC technology exist today: "Line-Commutated Converter" (LCC) HVDC, using mercury arc rectifiers or thyristors, which has been available since the 1950s, and the newer "Voltage Sourced Converter" (VSC) HVDC, which uses transistors.

VSC-HVDC is a rapidly growing technology which is finding application in situations such as the connection of off-shore wind-farms to the mainland AC grid.

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