HVDC links: Overview
Direct-current superhighways under seas and across whole countries
What this tile covers Direct-current lines with lower losses over long distances, under the sea and between unsynchronised grids. Share of use 0.6% share of world energy carried (2024)Share of world total energy supply (592 EJ in 2024, Energy Institute Statistical Review 2025, physical energy content) carried at least once by this mode; overlaps allowed, so shares do not add to 100 (calculated) China's cross-regional UHVDC lines carried about 420 TWh of clean power in 2024, close to 60% of what they carried (so about 700 TWh); China holds about 72% of world HVDC capacity (CleanTechnica, 2023), giving roughly 972 TWh worldwide, about 3.5 EJ. Rough scaling; also counted within the electricity tiles. Source: China puts 45 ultra-high-voltage projects into operation, People's Daily Online.
Key facts
| Form | Electricity |
| Chain | AC → rectifier → DC → inverter → AC |
Included from the reference tables
- High-voltage DC
- Undersea and cross-border DC links
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