# HVDC links: Overview

Direct-current superhighways under seas and across whole countries

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/overview/

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](https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1030/c90000-20383967.html), 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

#### Also in Electricity
[HVAC AC transmission](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvac/)[Dist Distribution grids, mini-grids and interconnectors](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_distribution/)[Cab Underground, submarine and superconducting cables](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_cables/)[RW Railway electrification and wireless power](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rail_wireless/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: how it works, efficiency and losses, technology advances, value chain, geopolitics and regulation, unit economics, impact on the biosphere.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/correlation/index.md)
- [How it works](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/explain/index.md)
- [Efficiency and losses](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/efficiency/index.md)
- [Technology advances](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/advances/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/valuechain/index.md)
- [Geopolitics and regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/geopolitics/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/economics/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hvdc/links/index.md)