Remote control Khlong Ngae HVDC substation

Khlong Ngae substation is situated in southern Thailand, about 1000 kilometers from the dispatching center. Its purpose is to exchange electric power between Thailand and Malaysia. It is the first HVDC Station in Thailand, with a nominal transmission capability of 300 MW and 600 MW in bipolar configuration (future). The station has been in operation since 20 September 2001 and is operated by a total of 8 operators: 4 daytime operators and 4 for nightshift, one person per shift. The ability to remotely control the station from the dispatching center is necessary to serve the stability of the national grid and to enable the convenient purchase and sale of electric power to Malaysia. Several different communication systems, such as fiber optic links, power line carriers and UHF transmission are necessary to accomplish this. This paper presents the initial commissioning process and shows the manipulation of data by the dispatching center and the remote equipment.