Minnesota Power Upgrades HVDC Line for Wind Energy
A major electric transmission upgrade project has begun in northern Minnesota, aimed at increasing the flow of wind energy generated in North Dakota to regional demand centers.
Duluth-based utility Minnesota Power has broken ground on a $900 million project to modernize a 465-mile high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line running from Center, North Dakota, to Solway Township near Duluth.
The existing line, which has operated for nearly 50 years, is one of only two HVDC systems in Minnesota and is designed to transmit electricity more efficiently over long distances than traditional alternating current systems.
Instead of building a new line, the project will add upgraded converter stations at both ends of the system, allowing the infrastructure to nearly double its energy transfer capacity. The stations will also enable two-way electricity flow once completed.
According to Minnesota Power, the upgrade will support the state’s transition toward a carbon-free electricity supply by 2040, as required under Minnesota law.
“This line is primarily driving a lot of our clean energy investments from North Dakota, where wind is most efficient, to here in Duluth,” said Dan Gunderson, Vice President of transmission planning at Minnesota Power.
The project is also expected to connect with a planned 67-mile transmission expansion near the Iron Range, creating a regional energy hub. While some local opposition has emerged over nearby data center development proposals, utility officials say the transmission upgrades were planned years in advance.
The project has received partial funding support from state and federal programs, though earlier federal grants were temporarily revoked and later restored following an appeal.
Source: businessnorth.com
