DNV KEMA successfully completes witness type test project in China for HVDC flexible converter valve with world’s highest voltage and power rating

Beijing, China / Arnhem, the Netherlands, February 4 – Energy consulting and testing & certification company DNV KEMA has successfully conducted a witness type test in China for C-EPRI Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd (C-EPRI). A celebration ceremony was held at C-EPRI in Beijing to commemorate that its self-developed prototype ±320kV/1000MW, 1563A IGBT valves passed DNV KEMA’s witness type test according to the IEC 62501 standard. It marks the great success of this type of HVDC transmission technology with the highest voltage and power rating in the world. The successful test can be seen as an important step in the further development of super grids.

C-EPRI is a company wholly owned by Smart Grid Research Institute (SGRI), a subsidiary of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), which ranked 7th on the Fortune 500 list 2012. C-EPRI is primarily involved in research, manufacturing and engineering of classic HVDC using Line Commutated Converters (LCC) and new generation HVDC using Voltage Sourced Converters (VSC).

The type tests were performed at the Power Electronic Lab of SGRI, and included both operational and dielectric tests. The prototype passed all tests required by IEC 62501 (2009ed), which means C-EPRI becomes the first power electronics manufacturer with successfully type tested 320kV, 1563A IGBT valves. All the tests were witnessed by the independent third party DNV KEMA.

“The witness type test demonstrates another example of successful collaboration between DNV KEMA and C-EPRI since the first Ningdong-Shangdong ±660kV 4000MW LCC HVDC project in China in 2008,” Dr. Yanny Fu from DNV KEMA said. “Thanks to its great efforts in research & development, C-EPRI provides an effective solution for wind integration, in particular for large offshore wind farms with transmission distance of more than 50-100 km where an AC cable technology is not feasible.”

Dr. Tang Guangfu, General Manager of C-EPRI added, “With their skilled and experienced experts, as well as its outstanding reputation in providing objective and impartial services in the global energy industry, DNV KEMA is a wonderful partner for C-EPRI to test the quality of electricity transmission and distribution products. We are expecting continuous enhancement of the cooperation with DNV KEMA which enables us to provide more quality products and services to our customers worldwide”.

Bjørn Tore Markussen, COO of DNV KEMA for Asia Pacific, commented, “I am very pleased that C-EPRI’s self-developed prototype 320kV, 1563A IGBT valves passed all the tests. I would like to congratulate C-EPRI for achieving this great success. With this world leading technology, C-EPRI has made an important contribution to the global energy industry. DNV KEMA is looking forward to keeping working together with C-EPRI to continuously make a valuable contribution to a safe and sustainable energy future.”