Swiss power and automation technology company ABB has secured an order worth over $640M from the Power Grid Corporation of India to construct a transmission link that will have the capacity to bring reliable electricity to more than 80M of people in India.

The Raigarh-Pugalur 800kV ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will connect Raigarh in central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

With a capacity of 6,000MW, the 1,830km, two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centres located thousands of kilometres away.

ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said: “ABB is honoured to partner with Powergrid for this smart long distance transmission project

“Delivering reliable electricity to India’s energy demand centres is a top priority for the Indian government to support the country’s impressive growth momentum.

“ABB is strongly committed to India for more than a century and with this new long distance transmission link, we are delivering the benefits from the Energy Revolution to the country, building on the strength of our strong local manufacturing footprint.

The project is expected to be complete in 2019.

* Data provided by Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center.