China's HVDC Technology Powers Brazil's Itaipu Modernization Project

In 2023, following a fire caused by a malfunction at the Foz do Iguaçu converter station—the sending end of the Itaipu high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line—State Grid Corporation of China was contracted to carry out the retrofit project. In August 2024, a project team from State Grid Hubei DC Company arrived in Brazil to provide technical support in response to China's call for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Chinese staff members and their Brazilian colleagues collaborate on commissioning work in the main control room. Photo by Cui Sheng

In early 2026, the Itaipu retrofit project entered the commissioning phase for its Bipole 1 system. Tasked with more than 300 test items, Wu Shuang, site manager at the Ibiúna Converter Station, led the team in close coordination with the China Electric Power Research Institute and key stakeholders to advance testing systematically. The Bipole 1 system ultimately completed commissioning with zero defects and was put into operation.

Wu Shuang (first from left) reviews technical drawings on site with Chinese and international colleagues. Photo by Cui Sheng

Following the successful commissioning of Bipole 1, the on-site team promptly transitioned to the Bipole 2 upgrade. Interfacing new and existing equipment and coordinating work across disciplines required timely on-site communication and coordination. Throughout the retrofit, the technical team assisted the Brazilian owner in identifying more than 100 equipment defects and carried out on-site commissioning to ensure that testing proceeded in an orderly manner.

At 8:30 a.m. local time on Nov. 8, the open line test (OLT) for the Itaipu HVDC retrofit project was completed successfully, laying a solid foundation for the project to enter operation.

"The Chinese team possesses robust technical expertise and extensive experience, consistently adapting quickly to on-site changes and proposing improvements," said a representative of the Brazilian owner. "Seeing the modernized equipment successfully pass the tests gives us full confidence in our future collaboration." This project represents not only an important step in rebuilding and upgrading Brazil's power infrastructure but also a major milestone in the global deployment of China's HVDC technologies and engineering standards.