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Siemens and Mortenson complete Bipole III HVDC Converter Stations in Canada

The Bipole III converter stations include the Keewatinohk Converter Station in northern Manitoba near Hudson Bay, and the Riel Converter Station near Winnipeg in the southern region of the province. The converter stations have a transmission capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) – enough to meet over 40 percent of the province's peak electricity demand. HVDC transmission is the ideal technology to implement when electricity must be transported over vast distances from remote areas where it is produced to urban and industrial centers where it is needed, as HVDC transmission suffers much lower electricity losses than standard AC transmission.
"Our proven HVDC technology will enable Manitoba Hydro to integrate and deliver clean renewable energy while enhancing grid reliability and enabling power sharing," said Mirko Düsel, CEO Transmission Solutions at Siemens Energy Management. "After commissioning, Bipole III will deliver renewable energy to southern Manitoba and the United States, helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels."
The Siemens and Mortenson consortium was responsible for the turnkey supply of the HVDC converter equipment and associated facilities, with Siemens delivering the system design and the manufacturing, supply and commissioning of the core HVDC technology while Mortenson provided design support and construction services for the supporting infrastructure, including converter station building, AC filters, and DC switchyards. "Siemens is a global leader in HVDC technology as Mortenson is in construction. With this combination of expertise and a joint effort within our organizations and Manitoba Hydro, we were able to complete this critical and challenging project on time and on budget," said Faisal Kazi, President and CEO, Siemens Canada. The remote location of the Keewatinohk Converter Station, and the extreme winter weather conditions present at both sites provided interesting logistics and construction challenges for the team.
"The successful delivery of Bipole III required synergy between our customer Manitoba Hydro and the consortium of Siemens and Mortenson, a mutual respect for each other's expertise and a laser focus on the project goals and deliverables," said Mark Donahue, Vice President and General Manager at Mortenson. "The project management and construction experience we amassed through our years as a General Contractor and an EPC partner were fundamental to the project's success."
Siemens is a global leader in HVDC technology and has commissioned more than 50 HVDC systems worldwide since the 1960s and conducted continuous research into the further development of the technology. In 2010 Siemens implemented the first project in the world using multilevel technology. This extremely network-friendly and compact technology features additional closed-loop and open-loop control functions of the kind familiar from power plants. Siemens recently launched which allows operation with overhead power lines as well as underground cable connections and allows to clarify 98 percent of all faults without interrupting operation. In Europe alone, Siemens is currently implementing seven HVDC projects. Another six HVDC links and four offshore grid connections using Siemens direct-current technology are already connected to the grid – combined these projects have a transmission capacity of more than 8,000 MW. That is eight times as much as a reactor block in a nuclear power plant generates on average.

The press kit for CIGRE 2018 is available at www.siemens.com/press/cigre2018
For further information on Division Energy Management, please see www.siemens.com/energy-management
For further information on CIGRE 2018, please see https://www.siemens.com/cigre

For this press release

Event: Siemens at CIGRE 2018: Unlock the potential of digitalization

Event: Siemens at CIGRE 2018: Unlock the potential of digitalization

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. With its publicly listed subsidiary Siemens Healthineers AG, the company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.2 billion. At the end of September 2017, the company had around 377,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Mortenson is a U.S.-based, top-20 builder, developer and provider of energy and engineering services committed to helping organizations move their strategies forward. Mortenson's expanding portfolio of integrated services ensures that its customers' investments result in high-performing assets. The result is a turnkey partner, fully invested in the business success of its customers. Founded in 1954, Mortenson has operations across North America with offices in Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and in Canada. For additional information, visit www.mortenson.com.
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Contact

Sabrina Martin

Siemens AG

Freyeslebenstr. 1
91058 Erlangen
Germany

+49 (9131) 7-37168

Cameron Snyder

Mortenson

700 Meadow Lane
MN 55422 Minneapolis
USA

+1 (763) 287-5493