HVDC Vancouver Island
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The HVDC Vancouver Island is the name for HVDC interconnection between the Vancouver Island Terminal (VIT) near North Cowichan, British Columbia on Vancouver Island and the Arnott Substation (ART) near Delta, British Columbia on the Canadian mainland, which went into operation in 1968 and was extended in 1977. HVDC Vancouver Island consists of a 42 kilometers overhead line and a 33 kilometers long submarine cable. In 1968 the first pole of the HVDC Vancouver Island went into service. Its static inverters use mercury vapor electric rectifiers. The maximum transmission rate of this pole is 312 megawatts, its transmission voltage is 260kV. In 1977 the HVDC Vancouver Island was supplemented by installing a second pole. This pole uses thyristor valves in its static inverters and can transfer at an operating voltage of 280kV with a maximum power of 370 megawatts. Currently a submarine cable for three-phase alternating current is being constructed between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island, that will replace the HVDC line.