By Kari Williamson

Red Eléctrica de España (REE) is using the HVDC technology to link Mallorca with the Spanish grid via an electricity highway laid in the Mediterranian.

“This project is representative of a trend in Europe: Power grids are distinctively coming closer together. With our HVDC technology renewables-based power can be transmitted over long distances with low losses. HVDC links will become the backbone of power grids and the German energy system turnaround. They will help to increase the share of renewables in the European electricity mix,” says Michael Suess, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Siemens Energy.

Under contract to the Spanish grid operator Siemens installed two converter stations for the conversion of alternating into direct current, one in the vicinity of the island’s capital city Palma de Mallorca and a second on the Spanish mainland near Valencia.

A 244 km power line was laid through the Mediterranean between the two stations.

Through the HVDC link 400 MW can be transmitted to Mallorca, which is equivalent to a good 25% of the island’s installed power plant capacity.

The link laid to Mallorca comprises three single-piece submarine cables, which were supplied by the Italian cable specialist Prysmian together with the Norwegian cable manufacturer Nexans and laid at a depth of as much as 1485 m on the Mediterranean seabed.