Long-term HVDC developments in the European power system: The Baltic case in GridTech analysis

In the field of electric power transmission, HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) is a well-established technology and presents characteristics that have made it widely attractive over HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) for specific applications. Currently, recent advances in the power electronics, coupled to the traditional features of HVDC, are contributing to boost the penetration of HVDC for further applications in the European power system. The present paper focuses on the planned and potential HVDC developments concerning the Baltic region, paying particular attention to the long-term (2030–2050). To this purpose, after an analysis of Baltic scenarios evolution, some results derived from the European GridTech project are presented and discussed.