HVDC Vancouver Island

The HVDC Vancouver Island is the name for HVDC interconnection between the Vancouver Island Terminal (VIT) near North Cowichan, British Columbia on Vancouver Island at 48°49′39″N 123°42′55″W / 48.82750°N 123.71528°W and the Arnott Substation (ARN) near Delta, British Columbia at 49°5′31″N 123°2′31″W / 49.09194°N 123.04194°W on the Canadian mainland, which went into operation in 1968 and was extended in 1977. HVDC Vancouver Island consists of three overhead line sections with a total length of 42 kilometres and two submarine cable sections with a length of 33 kilometres.

After its departure of Arnott Substation the overhead power line on the mainland split at 49°3′38″N 123°4′30″W / 49.06056°N 123.07500°W into two branches, one running to a terminal at 49°3′6″N 123°7′22″W / 49.05167°N 123.12278°W and the other running to a terminal at 49°1′40″N 123°6′1″W / 49.02778°N 123.10028°W, where the first submarine cable section begins. At 48°55′07″N 123°24′15″W / 48.91861°N 123.40417°W, the first submarine cable sections ends and a short overhead line section running southwestly across Galiano Island starts. The overhead line leaves Galiano Island south of Montague Harbour in an 880 metres long span, which starts at 48°52′51″N 123°23′21″W / 48.88083°N 123.38917°W and ends on Parker Island at 48°52′48″N 123°24′04″W / 48.88000°N 123.40111°W. A bit westward on Parker Island at 48°52′45″N 123°24′9″W / 48.87917°N 123.40250°W the overhead line ends and the second submarine cable section begins. At 48°51′2″N 123°25′31″W / 48.85056°N 123.42528°W the cable reaches Salt Spring Island and the third overhead line section starts. It crosses Salt Spring Island westsouthwestly. North of Maxwell Point at 48°49′54″N 123°33′50″W / 48.83167°N 123.56389°W and Arbutus Point at 48°49′40″N 123°35′21″W / 48.82778°N 123.58917°W the overhead line crosses in a 1900 metres long span of Sansum Narrows, the strait between Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island. After this span the overhead line runs westward to Vancouver Island Terminal near the town of Duncan.

In 1968 the first pole of the HVDC Vancouver Island link went into service. Its static inverters use mercury vapour rectifiers. The maximum transmission capacity of this pole is 312 megawatts and the transmission voltage is 260 kV. The stations Vancouver Island Terminal and Arnott Substation were designed and delivered by Swedish company ASEA (later ABB). The Swedish team of some 10 people were headed for the first phase by Ivan Hedlund and for the second phase by Gunnar Ahgren.

In 1977 the HVDC Vancouver Island link was supplemented by installing a second pole. This pole uses thyristor valves for its static inverters and operates at a voltage of 280 kV with a rating of 370 megawatts. A new 230 kV. submarine cable for three-phase alternating current has been constructed between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island, that parallels the existing two HVDC lines and replaces one of two earlier 138kV lines. The HVDC systems are at the end of their service life and are not considered to be reliable.

Electrodes

The electrode on the Canadian Mainland is a land electrode situated at Boundary Bay at 49°03′25″N 123°01′46″W / 49.05694°N 123.02944°W . It is connected with Arnott Substation by an overhead pole line. The electrode on Vancouver Island is a shore electrode in a bay at Sansum Narrows at 48°46′22″N 123°34′24″W / 48.77278°N 123.57333°W . It is connected with Vancouver Island Terminal by an overhead line, which is mounted between Vancouver Island Terminal and a point northwest of Maple Bay at 48°49′35″N 123°37′38″W / 48.82639°N 123.62722°W on the towers of the main HVDC line. From this point the line runs as a separate pole line to the electrode.

See also

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