Abstract—The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) has constructed and commissioned a 400kV interconnection grid between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab of Emirates (UAE), that includes 900 km of overhead lines, seven 400kV substations, a 1800MW three-pole back-to-back HVDC converter station and a submarine cable to Bahrain. This paper summarizes the design features of the GCCIA Back-to-Back HVDC station, illustrates both the technical considerations and physical characteristics of the project, and highlights the operational experience since its operation in 2009. Also, the paper provides some environmental aspects and personal recommendations, and sum up with illustrative conclusion over the covered topics.

Index Terms—high-voltage direct-current transmission, interconnection, GCCIA, back-to-back HVDC, power system operation, grid connectivity, power system converters

Cite: Tawfiq M. Aljohani and Abdullah M. Alzahrani, "The Operation of the GCCIA HVDC Project and Its Potential Impacts on the Electric Power Systems of the Region," International Journal of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 207-213, September 2014. doi: 10.12720/ijeee.2.3.207-213