Interconnection of Northern Canadian Communities to the Manitoba Hydro Power System: Evaluation of AC and DC Alternatives

The communities in the Northern region of Canada have been using local power generation methods based on fossil fuels for a considerable time. These communities have land access only during the winter months, which poses problems in transportation of fuel. Power demands of these regions are increasing and to cater the increasing demands, it is essential to connect these communities to the main grid. One option will be to extend the existing ac power system to these regions. Another option is to use an HVDC Lite option based on a multiport VSC system. This paper studies the technical feasibility of both the ac and dc options using computer simulations. Merits and disadvantages of the two alternatives are assessed and outlined based upon simulation-based study results.