Grid-eMotion® Fleet EV charging system powers RTC pilot of electric buses in preparation for the shift to all-electric public transit in Quebec City

Montreal, Quebec, October 4, 2023 – Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, has successfully deployed a centralized, multi-vehicle electric bus charging solution for RTC, the public transit agency in the greater Quebec City area. The technology was selected to be tested as part of a pilot project in 2022 following a call for tender won by Hitachi Energy. The three-year project represents an important step toward the ultimate electrification of the RTC’s entire bus fleet and infrastructure. The pilot is also providing valuable data on the best strategies for charging large numbers of vehicles.

The technology selected for the pilot is Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eMotion® Fleet solution, an integrated charging system that can deliver multi-megawatt level charging capabilities tailored to the demanding requirements of urban bus fleets. The system requires 60 percent less space than conventional charging systems and a 40 percent decrease in required depot cabling. This industry-leading grid-to-plug solution has been deployed in sustainable transport projects at some of the biggest urban bus systems in the world, including London, UK, Västerås, Sweden, and Brisbane, Australia.

The project supports the Quebec provincial government's plan to electrify 55 percent of its urban buses and 65 percent of its school buses by 2030, a critical objective in Canada, where transportation accounts for about a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions.    

"Hitachi Energy is proud to support the RTC energy transition through our Grid-eMotion Fleet pilot deployment. This project offers a great opportunity to demonstrate how charging systems designed specifically for fleets can play a critical role in transitioning our urban transit systems to fully electric operations," said Alireza Aram, Managing Director, Grid Integration North America, Hitachi Energy. "This exciting project is enabling us to explore different approaches to EV fleet charging in a real-world environment, gathering data that can be applied with public transit agencies around the world."

One of the key goals of the project is to explore different fleet charging strategies in an active bus terminal, including traditional plugs, as well as overhead pantograph systems. Typically, bus terminals in urban environments are space-constrained and were not designed for electric buses, which require compact, scalable, and space-saving systems. Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eMotion Fleet technology can provide public transit agencies with much-needed flexibility to address the unique needs of each facility. Hitachi Energy’s solution has been tested at RTC’s Metrobus Center and is expected to run at full capacity in 2024.

Substantial modernization of a key transmission system in Canada will support the transfer of electricity between Montreal and New York

Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, today announced that it has been selected by Hydro-Québec for its high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology for the transmission of electricity, which will ensure the sustainability of the energy exchange between the Quebec network, in eastern Canada, and New York State in the northeastern United States.

Hydro-Québec, the largest hydroelectricity producer in Canada and one of the largest hydroelectricity producers in the world, is a public company that generates, transmits, and distributes reliable, clean and renewable electricity in Québec. Thanks to its surplus energy, it supplies the Canadian provinces and the northeastern United States.
 

The Châteauguay HVDC system will enable the transmission of up to 1,500 megawatts of electricity between the electrical networks of Quebec and the state of New York which will contribute to maintaining a low carbon footprint in the region. This new system will replace existing equipment which has been in operation since 1984¹, increasing the efficiency and controllability, plus raising the power conversion capacity of the Châteauguay HVDC system² by 50 percent.

“We are proud to be returning to the Chateauguay HVDC station, after helping to build it almost four decades ago,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “This new system represents an important enhancement to the ability to transmit large-scale hydro power between Canada and the United States, which will support the shift away from fossil fuel.”

Hitachi Energy is supplying a “back-to-back” converter station, which converts AC power to DC then reconverts it to AC from DC enabling the interconnection of the 735 kilovolt Canadian and 765 kilovolt New York grids which are “out of phase” and cannot be connected directly via traditional AC systems.

Note to editors:

Hitachi Energy’s HVDC solution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves; the MACH™ digital control platform³, which enables renewables integration and manages voltage and frequency disturbances in the grid; converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.

HVDC Light^® is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and “power-from-shore” connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light’s defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects.