Hitachi Energy and Adani Energy Solutions Ltd. have commissioned one of the world’s largest high-voltage direct current city centre infeeds in Mumbai, increasing power supplied to the city from outside by 50 per cent and injecting up to 1,000 megawatts (MW) of reliable, secure, and low-carbon electricity. The Kudus–Aarey link strengthens transmission infrastructure and supports the daily needs of more than 20 million (mn) people, delivering a step change in energy resilience for one of the world’s most densely populated megacities. The project is intended to accelerate renewable integration and to bolster the Mumbai Climate Action Plan by expanding access to clean power for homes, businesses, transport systems and digital infrastructure.

Powered by Hitachi Energy’s voltage source converter HVDC technology, the scheme offers precise and fast control of power flow, improved voltage stability and enhanced grid reliability in a space-constrained urban environment. The Aarey converter station upgrade represents the city’s most significant grid modernisation in nearly 25 years and increases in?city transmission capacity from 250 to 1,000 MW, directly reinforcing energy security. The configuration combines overhead lines and 50 kilometres of underground HVDC cables to navigate constrained corridors.

The compact converter station and underground routing freed approximately two square kilometres of urban territory, equivalent to around 280 football fields, thus reducing land take and easing permitting challenges. The in?city HVDC application mitigates power congestion and noise, improves power quality and control, and provides a scalable model for other Indian cities and global megacities facing multiplying demand. By enabling secure import of renewable energy from regional generation zones and national grid nodes, the link supports decarbonisation objectives and grid modernisation.

Hitachi Energy’s long track record in India underpins the delivery, building on earlier HVDC systems and ongoing transmission corridors that seek to carry multi-gigawatt renewable flows across large distances. The company’s local manufacturing capacity and project execution experience are presented as key enablers of India’s grid transition, aiming to meet rising demand from industry, data centres and urban consumers while supporting national clean energy goals.