Government of Canada invests CAN$30 million in Hitachi Energy HVDC simulation centre

These projects will help address the fast-growing customer demand for sustainable energy throughout North America. This additional funding from Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund is part of an overall CAN$140 million investment announced in April, including funding from Investissement Quebec.

This investment is in line with Hitachi Energy’s recent announcements to invest an additional CAN$4.5 billion by 2027 to accelerate the clean energy transition and support the long-term plans and electrification efforts, as well as the company’s CAN$1.5 billion investments to ramp up global transformer production in the same timeframe.

HVDC technology is the key enabler for integrating large scale renewable electricity into power grids. The new simulation centre in Montreal will help shorten the time to market for large transmission projects by employing virtual testing of HVDC systems before installation.

The new simulation centre is expected to be completed before the end of 2027. When completed, it will provide a digital representation of its HVDC control and protection system, including real-time transmission network simulation. Moreover, it will enable collaboration with local and international customers to design, model, and test their systems, improving the deployment time for large and complex projects. This initiative aligns with Canada’s goal to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050.

“In a net zero future, Canadian electricity generation capacity will need to be two to three times greater than today. Hitachi Energy’s transformers and HVDC technology will play a key role in expanding Canadian and North American electricity capacity,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “Today’s investment supports the key technologies that will enable a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy.”

“We are thrilled to have received this funding from the Canadian Government to help support the further expansion of our facilities and associated job creation,” added Carla Vicente, Country Managing Director at Hitachi Energy in Canada. “Quebec is an important hub for the clean energy transition in North America, and the new HVDC simulation centre will provide us with critical capabilities to support the urgent need for additional transmission capacity both in Canada and throughout North America.”

The Varennes facility is Hitachi Energy’s premier manufacturing location for large power transformers in North America, supporting national and regional power grids, and serving unique HVDC transmission projects like Champlain Hudson Power Express and the modernisation of the Châteauguay HVDC system, raising the power conversion capacity of this link between Quebec and New York State by 50% while increasing its efficiency and controllability. Establishing a new onsite transformer testing facility in Varennes is a critical element of the company’s efforts to meet the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions in the province.

The Varennes factory designs and engineers a vast range of superior-quality transformers, including large power step-up transformers, auto-transformers with very high voltage, shunt reactors, and transformers for static compensators and HVDC transmission systems. The location’s manufacturing capacity ranges from 100 – 1200 MVA and its operating voltage is as high as 800 kV, among the highest in the world.

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