Alstom Group

In 2003 ALSTOM, via its Transmission & Distribution Sector, won a 40 million turnkey contract in two parts with Svenska Kraftnät and ELTRA to upgrade the Konti‑Skan 1 HVDC link. The project replaced the ageing 1960s mercury‑arc scheme with modern thyristor-based converter stations at Vester Hassing in Denmark and at Lindome in Sweden. ALSTOM’s scope covered design, civil works and construction of both converter stations and the supply and installation of converter transformers, thyristor valves, DC smoothing reactors, switchgear, harmonic filters, capacitor banks and the digital control and protection system. The upgrade increased the pole’s capacity to about 380 MW at 285 kV DC, revitalised the power exchange capability while retaining the existing submarine cable and overhead lines, and enabled coordinated bi-pole operation with Konti‑Skan 2.