Aaron at 23:37, 22 February 2026

2026-02-22T23:37:22Z

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{{Short description|Converter station in Maharashtra, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox power transmission line
| name = Chandrapur back-to-back HVDC converter station
| photo =
| caption =
| map =
| map_caption = Location of Chandrapur back-to-back HVDC
| country = [[India]]
| state = [[Maharashtra]]
| province =
| coordinates = {{Coord|20|05|21|N|79|08|36|E|type:landmark|name=Chandrapur Back to Back HVDC Station}}
| lat =
| long =
| direction =
| start = Western Region
| through =
| finish = Southern Region
| par =
| owner = [[Power Grid Corporation of India]]
| partners =
| operator =
| cable_manufacturer =
| cable_installer =
| cable_layer =
| substation_manufacturer=
| substation_installer= [[Alstom|GEC-Alstom]]
| contractors =
| construction =
| expected =
| est = 1997
| decom =
| type = Back to Back
| current_type = [[HVDC]]
| length_km = 0
| capacity = 2 x 500 MW
| AC_voltage =
| DC_voltage = 205 kV (each pole)
| poles_no = 2
| circuits_no =
}}
The '''Chandrapur back-to-back HVDC station''' is a back-to-back [[HVDC]] connection between the western and southern regions in India, located close to the city of [[Chandrapur]]. Its main purpose is to export power from the [[Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station]] to the southern region of the Indian national power grid. It is owned by [[Power Grid Corporation of India]].

The converter station consists of two independent poles, each with a nominal power transmission rating of 500 MW. Both poles were built by [[Alstom|GEC-Alstom]] between 1993 and 1997<ref>Prasher V.K, Kumar Devender, Gupta R.S., Suri Rajesh, Joshi Ashok, Mukoo Sanjay, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221156/http://www.e-cigre.org/bib/14_121_2002.pdf Operational Experiences of Chandrapur 2 x 500 MW back-to-back station], [[International Council on Large Electric Systems|CIGRÉ]] session, Paris, 2002, paper reference 14-121.</ref> and have nominal DC voltage and current ratings of 205 kV, 2475 A.

The [[HVDC converter station|converter station]] is located {{convert|20|km}} from the eastern terminal of the [[Chandrapur–Padghe HVDC transmission system]]. The close proximity of the two converter stations meant that the control systems needed to be carefully coordinated, a task made more challenging by the fact that the two stations were built by different manufacturers. To address this problem a series of joint simulation studies, involving the control equipment from both converter stations connected to a common simulator, was performed.<ref>Abbott, K.M., Aten, M., [https://web.archive.org/web/20220319081737/https://e-cigre.org/bib/14_109_2000.pdf Two HVDC schemes in close proximity: a coordination study], [[International Council on Large Electric Systems|CIGRÉ]] Session, Paris, 2000, paper reference 14-109.</ref>

On 31 December 2013, the Northern, Eastern and Western grids were synchronised with the Southern regional grid, creating a single synchronous AC grid over the whole of India.<ref>[http://www.powergridindia.com/_layouts/PowerGrid/User/ContentPage.aspx?PId=78&LangID=English One Nation – One Grid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226175901/http://www.powergridindia.com/_layouts/PowerGrid/User/ContentPage.aspx?PId=78&LangID=English |date=26 February 2017 }}, Powergrid website (retrieved 18 November 2015).</ref> As a result, the converter station is no longer required for its original purpose of asynchronously linking the Western and Southern grids, although it can still be used as an embedded power flow device to help control power flow within the AC system. The stations could potentially be shifted to elsewhere to export/import power from other countries. Sometimes the excess power fed to the southern grid by this HVDC link is flowing back to Western region through the 765 kV AC lines between Southern grid and the Western grid with futility.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

== Arrangement and main equipment ==

=== Overall arrangement ===

Each of the two poles is identical and consists of a back-to-back connection of two 12-pulse bridge converters. Unusually, no DC smoothing [[inductor|reactor]]s are used.<ref>Wheeler J.D., Davidson C.C., Williams J.D.G., Roy A.K., Design aspects of the 2 x 500MW Back-to-back HVDC scheme, [[International Council on Large Electric Systems|CIGRÉ]] session, Paris, 1996, paper reference 14-104.</ref>

Each pole is grounded at one of the two DC terminals.

=== Converter transformers ===
Each of the two poles uses three, single-phase, three-winding converter [[transformer]]s on each side.<ref>Andersen B.R., Monkhouse, D.R., Whitehouse R.S., Williams J.D.G., Prasher V.K, Kumar Devender, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221154/http://www.e-cigre.org/bib/14_114_1998.pdf Commissioning the 1000MW back-to-back HVDC link at Chandrapur, India], [[International Council on Large Electric Systems|CIGRÉ]] session, Paris, 1998, paper reference 14-114.</ref>

=== Thyristor valves ===

The scheme comprises 48 [[thyristor valve]]s (12 at each end of each pole) and with each thyristor valve including 54 thyristor levels in series. The thyristors are of 100 mm diameter and are rated at 5.2 kV. The thyristor valves are floor-mounted even though the station is located in a seismically active area.

=== AC filters and reactive power ===

Each side of the station is equipped with a total of 848 MVAr of AC [[harmonic]] filters. Each side of each pole is equipped with three, 106 MVAr double-damped filters (tuned to 12th and 24th harmonics) and one, 106 MVAr "C-type" filter (tuned to 5th harmonic). On the Southern side there are also two, 50 MVAr shunt reactors.

== Sites ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Site || Coordinates
|-
| Chandrapur Back to Back|| {{Coord|20|05|21|N|79|08|36|E|type:landmark|name= Chandrapur Back to Back HVDC Station}}
|}

==See also==
* [[HVDC Sileru–Barsoor]]
* [[Vizag back-to-back HVDC converter station]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{GeoGroupTemplate}}
* https://web.archive.org/web/20121013104458/http://www.powergridindia.com/PGCIL_NEW/home.aspx Power Grid Corporation of India
* [http://www.alstom.com/grid/ Alstom Grid Website]

[[Category:Electric power transmission infrastructure in India]]
[[Category:Converter stations]]
[[Category:Energy in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Energy in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Chandrapur district]]
[[Category:1997 establishments in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1997]]

Chandrapur back-to-back HVDC converter station - Revision history

Aaron at 23:37, 22 February 2026