Eagle pass back to back VSC installation and operation

In 2001, ERCOT and CFE tied their transmission networks together with a back-to-back voltage sourced converter (VSC-BTB) at Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico. The VSC-BTB tie was a collaborative effort between AEP, Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), with ABB supplying the equipment on a turnkey basis. The VSC-BTB is designed to allow bi-directional real power flows and is also capable of providing dynamic control of the voltages on either terminals of the tie. The results of field tests performed during commissioning demonstrated the capability of the BTB tie to provided independently the capability of the BTB tie to provide independently control of the voltages at each ends and the real power transfer between AEP and CFE´s power systems. Since the commissioning of the BTB, all cable terminations have been replaced by geometric type, which are insensitive to frequencies below the MHz range. As a result, the BTB has been operating satisfactorily, providing unprecedented support to the AEP and CFE networks.