AREVA’s Transmission and Distribution Division has been awarded a 70 million euros contract by National Grid and RTE, to enhance the reliability and reinforce the availability of IFA 2000, the world’s largest subsea High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) scheme interconnecting the French and British national power systems.

AREVA will replace the existing high voltage converter equipment and the control and cooling system, implementing its H-400 high voltage direct current Thyristor valves and Series V control system in order to optimize the interconnector’s availability. The downtime on each circuit is limited to less than seven weeks.

Since its launch in 1986, IFA 2000 has significantly contributed to the development of the European electricity market and has been recognized as a technical success. Today, this interconnection is the means to efficiently transmit electricity between the two countries.

Philippe Guillemot, chairman and CEO of AREVA’s Transmission and Distribution division comments, “IFA 2000 has been a pioneering interconnection and a positive example of effective co-operation and partnership between European electricity companies. Our knowledge and experience of this interconnection dates back to 1986 when AREVA supplied the original HVDC converters. We are therefore extremely confident that we can provide the most appropriate solutions that will maximize the performance and efficiency of the scheme.”