Hitachi Energy, AESL commission one of world’s largest HVDC city center infeed
Adani Electricity Mumbai Infrastructure Limited (AEMIL), a subsidiary of Adani Energy Solutions Ltd., and Hitachi Energy have commissioned a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission link between Kudus and Aarey in Mumbai, increasing the city’s power supply from outside by 50 percent, the companies said on Monday.
The project, conceived after the October 2020 Mumbai blackout that exposed gaps in the city’s power infrastructure, comprises a 30-km overhead line and a 50-km underground corridor. It also features what the companies described as the world’s first compact HVDC substation, built to operate within the space constraints of a densely built urban environment. The converter station upgrade raises Mumbai’s grid import capacity from 250 MW to 1,000 MW, the most significant grid upgrade for the city in nearly 25 years.
The link uses Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-based HVDC technology, which enables precise control of power flows, improves voltage stability, and offers black-start capability, allowing power restoration without an external source. Its compact design freed approximately 2 square kilometres of urban land.
The Kudus–Aarey link draws power from outside the city, including renewable energy from Maharashtra and other parts of India’s national grid, reducing dependence on in-city generation and lowering the risk of large-scale outages for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Kandarp Patel, CEO of Adani Energy Solutions, said the project enhances grid stability, decongests existing networks, and described it as among the fastest HVDC projects ever commissioned.
Niklas Persson, CEO of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration Business Unit, said the project provides a scalable model for other Indian cities and global megacities facing rising power demand alongside land and grid integration constraints.
Photo (Valves hall at the converter station in Mumbai) credit: Hitachi Energy
