Project Lightning

The first-of-its-kind sub-sea power transmission network in the MENA region

Hitachi Energy has been selected to supply its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) Light^® systems to connect the ADNOC’s offshore operations to the onshore power grid in the United Arab Emirates. HVDC Light^® will connect low-carbon power from the mainland grid to ADNOC’s production operations as a strategic project to enable a sustainable, flexible and secure power supply.

This project is the first HVDC power-from-shore solution outside Norwegian waters.

Hitachi Energy is supplying four converter stations (two HVDC links): between Mirfa and Al Ghallan and between Shuweihat and Das.

Al Ghallan (off-shore station) and Mirfa (on-shore station) are symmetrical monopoles and part of Zakum Cluster. Das (off-shore station) and Shuweihat (on-shore station) are bipole and part of DAS Cluster. Symmetrical monopole stations will operate at ±320 kV and bipole stations will operate at ±400 kV. 

Total power transmitted will be 3200 MW and with that capacity, the two HVDC links will be by far the most powerful power-from-shore solution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to date. Transmitted power will be 2 x 1000 for Mirfa and Al Ghallan stations and 2 x 600 for Shuweihat and Das stations.

Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light^® technology will enable the transfer of cleaner and more efficient power from the mainland to power ADNOC’s offshore production operations, enabling a carbon footprint reduction of ADNOC’s offshore operations by more than thirty percent.