Alstom will design, manufacture and commission two converter stations (2x600 MW, +/- 320 kV) containing Alstom's VSC MaxSineTM Voltage Source Converter technology. Alternating Current (AC) will be converted from each country's electrical network into Direct Current (DC) for transmission and vice versa. Key equipment will be manufactured in Alstom's facilities in the UK, Germany, France and Italy and the contract also includes maintenance for the converter station in France.

"Alstom is pleased to be working with TERNA and RTE on this project. Alstom's VSC technology is both compact and versatile. As such, it will optimise the existing infrastructure, and preserve the Alps fragile eco system", said Patrick Plas, Senior Vice President, Power Electronics and Automation, Alstom Grid.

Alstom has over 50 years of HVDC expertise and has delivered more than 40 HVDC projects worldwide. This is Alstom's third VSC project in the last three years, following on from Sweden's South West Link, a multi-terminal HVDC grid connecting central and southern networks in the country and the Dolwin3 project, connecting 900 MW offshore wind energy from the North sea to the German grid. Alstom is also in the process of executing large scale HVDC projects such as India's Champa 1 & 2 (800 kV) and Brazil's 600 kV Rio Madeira, which at almost 2400km, is the world's longest transmission line.

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