Hitachi Energy innovative technology enables KiwiRail to deliver more train services for New Zealanders

KiwiRail is the public enterprise that owns and maintains New Zealand’s national rail network infrastructure. Its trains and ferries transport more than a million passengers, enabling 34 million low-carbon commuter journeys every year. 

SFC technology is essential to meet New Zealand’s growing demand for electrified rail services. It will pave the way for a higher train frequency and additional connections when Auckland’s City Rail Link project is completed in 2025.

In a first for New Zealand, Hitachi Energy will supply two 20MVA SFCs connected to the 33kV distribution grid. The SFC technology is essential to ensure grid code compliance while connecting to medium rather than high voltage, resulting in lower costs, lower risk, and faster approval for energization.

This is a big step forward in delivering more frequent and reliable public transport services for New Zealanders and creating a more flexible and efficient railway network that will meet passengers’ needs now and into the future.

A more resilient grid will mean more reliable services now and into the future, particularly during unplanned network outages or when one of the existing power feeds is out of service. The SFCs will also facilitate the integration of electricity from renewable energy sources and help to create a more environmentally friendly public transport system for New Zealanders.

Hitachi Energy has more than 40 years of experience and a proven track record with the largest installed base for Rail SFCs, with installations in Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, the Czech Republic, and the UK. We deliver high-power, medium-voltage converters for various applications, such as rail, industry, utility, wind energy, and hydro-pumped storage. The converters are designed to meet very high standards of efficiency and reliability and ensure low lifecycle costs. 

Hitachi Energy pioneered rail Static Frequency Converters (SFCs) designed to supply single-phase railway grids while ensuring overall supply efficiency and minimizing effects on the three-phase feeding grid. The converter incorporates the latest technology and semiconductor developments and is the solution of choice for performance and minimized project risks.

Find out more about Hitachi Energy’s Static Frequency Converters (SFC) | Hitachi Energy