A reliable electrical power supply depends on well-developed power grids. That’s why Siemens is present wherever networks are being expanded, upgraded, or newly constructed.
As a global leader in manufacturing, systems integration, and comprehensive solutions and services, Siemens empowers power utilities to transport and distribute electricity reliably and cost-effectively from power plants to customers.
Their extensive product portfolio includes transformers for power stations, substations, and HVDC converter stations, as well as transformers for industrial and transportation applications, reactors, and related accessories.
For over 100 years, Siemens transformers have stood for exceptional quality, driven by innovative ideas, expertise, and unmatched experience.
World's first 1,100 kV HVDC transformer
On January 24, 2018, the world’s most powerful high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transformer embarked on its journey from Siemens’ transformer factory in Nuremberg, Germany, to China.
The transformer was initially transported by a special heavy-load transporter to the harbor in Nuremberg, where it was loaded onto a ship. From there, it traveled to Rotterdam via the Main-Danube Canal before being shipped to China, where it was expected to arrive after several weeks at sea.
Siemens received the order to manufacture four such transformers in July 2016. About a year later, the world’s first 1,100 kV transformer was completed and successfully passed rigorous testing. The transformer’s immense size—37.5 meters long, 14.4 meters tall, and 12 meters wide—presented significant logistical challenges for the team.
In operation, the transformer weighs just under 900 tons and boasts an efficiency exceeding 99% of its rated power. This transformer will facilitate high-voltage direct-current transmission over a record distance of 3,284 kilometers, with a transmission capacity of 12 gigawatts. HVDC transformers play a crucial role in converting alternating current to direct current at the start of the transmission line and back to alternating current at the end, enabling energy transmission over long distances with minimal losses.
Thanks to this transformer, the Changji-Guquan project will be the first in the world to transmit direct current at an unprecedented 1,100 kilovolts. Not only does this new transformer make such a voltage level possible, but it is also the world’s most powerful tested transformer, with a capacity of 587 megavoltamperes.
With this achievement, Siemens has set a new standard in high-voltage direct-current transmission. The HVDC line between Changji and Guquan, operated by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), is expected to begin operation in 2019.
