HVDC Transmission

High-voltage direct current links carry bulk power over very long distances and connect asynchronous grids.

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HVDC converts AC to DC with converters (line-commutated thyristor valves, or voltage-source converters using IGBTs), transmits it, and converts back.

Advantages over AC:

no reactive power or stability limit with distance — cheaper beyond a break-even distance of roughly 500–800 km overhead (much less for underground/submarine cables);
connects grids with different frequencies or that aren't synchronised;
fast, precise power-flow control.

Disadvantages: expensive converter stations, harmonics and difficult DC circuit breaking. India operates several long-distance HVDC corridors, including ±800 kV ultra-high-voltage links.

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