Event

HVDC protection is moving beyond the conceptual phase in Europe, as evidenced by the deployment of the first single-vendor, multi-terminal projects. The next frontier lies in larger multi-vendor systems.

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While protection schemes are a key enabler for reliable interconnection and the scalable expansion of HVDC grids, crucial questions remain open.

Description:

This workshop explores these challenges through two main pillars. First, it provides system-level insights into protection design and specification, building on ongoing work and experience from pioneering projects like the German multi-terminal hubs, Aquila, expanded CMS, InterOPERA and DC4X. Second, it highlights technology-side contributions from leading global vendors, showcasing solutions, design philosophies, and real-world implementation experience and challenges. The session concludes with a short panel discussion to foster industry alignment on performance requirements and multi-vendor interoperability.

Workshop programme:

• Introduction (Sebastien Silvant) - Overview of the workshop concept, agenda, and engagement rules.
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• The shift to MTDC and the need for DC protection - the German hubs case (Cora Petino-Wagner, Andreas Saçiak, Thomas Schaupp).
Overview of the four German TSOs innovation partnership, covering the multi-terminal DC hubs protection concept, specification, and DC switchgear demonstrations.
• GB perspectives on DC protection – past, present, future (Benjamin Marshall).
Insights from the expanded Caithness Moray Shetland use case, Project Aquila, and DC network hubs to address protection requirements for increasingly complex DC systems.
• The DC-protection frameworks for competitive multi-vendor tenders - InterOPERA (Tim Schacht, Marco Schudel) .
Establishing technology neutral functional specifications decoupling fault separation duty from DC-fault-ride-through capabilities. De-risking interoperability through coordination at procurement stage.
• The German multivendor project approach – defining requirements, TSO responsibility in design studies & tendering (Thomas Schaupp, Andreas Saçiak, Cora Petino-Wagner).
Review of TSO responsibilities for overall system design and deriving requirements via EMT simulations.
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• DC grids resilience & hybrid HVDC breakers (Stefan Hansen, Didier Cottet).
Evaluation of protection technology selection for system compatibility, protection coordination, and operational flexibility, showcasing real-world validation of DC grid and hybrid HVDC breaker innovations.
• A fully selective protection strategy without telecommunication for multiterminal HVDC systems (Bruno Luscan).
Discussion of selective protection concepts leveraging system reactance to operate without telecommunications.
• A stepwise approach to multi-vendor multi-terminal HVDC Grids protection (Stig Settemsdal, Thomas Westerweller).
Preparatory steps from a non-expandable single vendor approach to a modular multivendor protection concept. Standardized interfaces with high level of integration, harmonized functional requirements prepared for international standardization.
• Resistive superconductive fault current limiters for the protection of MTDC grids (Christophe Creusot, Alberto Bertinato).
System design aspects of combining RSFCLs with DCCBs to limit short-circuit current rise and minimize reactor size.
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• Panel: Bridging the gap – Identifying remaining open questions for the industry (Moderator: Sebastien Silvant, Participants: all speakers + additional guest: Frederick Page).
A collaborative final discussion focusing on the alignment of TSO performance benchmarks with commercial vendor capabilities.