New HVDC technology in Pan-European power system planning

High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology will play a more central role in the future grid development than it had in the past due to the technological developments, the increasing use of renewable energy resources and the more ambitious European goals. These evolutions introduce new challenges in power transmission planning and have an impact on the choices of technology and the geographical location of interconnection projects. This paper will give a brief introduction on the benefits that HVDC can provide to the power system, focusing on their penetration in the European system, before dealing with a more detailed description of key HVDC projects in the Italian network.