Image credit: Hitachi Energy

A record-size power transformer built by Hitachi Energy has begun a complex journey from Ludvika, Sweden, to Shanghai, China, where it will be used in a major long-distance power transmission project.

The transformer weighs 446 tonnes and is among the largest of its kind delivered as a complete product by Hitachi Energy. The transport convoy carrying the equipment measures 107 metres in length and has a combined weight of about 820 tonnes. Due to the scale of the load, the vehicle typically travels at speeds of around 5 km/h.

According to Thomas Wennberg, head of the transformer factory in Ludvika, the unit represents a significant technological step for the company’s HVDC Light VSC technology. The transformer is designed to support ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission for the Gansu–Zhejiang transmission link in China, a 2,370-kilometre power corridor intended to move electricity generated from renewable sources.

The transformer will first be transported by road to Köping, where it will be loaded onto a barge. From there it will travel to Norrköping before being transferred to an ocean-going vessel operated by Maersk for shipment to China. The sea journey alone is expected to take approximately four and a half months.

Anna-Karin Larsdotter, who oversaw transport planning for Hitachi Energy, said the operation required extensive coordination and specialised equipment, including a beam trailer with 38 axles and more than 300 wheels.

The transformer is one of seven units planned for the transmission project. The Swedish-built unit will be used for type testing and design validation, while the remaining transformers will be manufactured in China under the technical supervision of Hitachi Energy.

Source: nyteknik.se