You know, during the Brazilian military regime the guys at government wanted to experiment a proof of concept for DC transmission. So they built both 750 kV AC and a 500 kV DC lines from Itaipu (at the time and for many years largest hydro) to São Paulo region (the load center). The DC has a return by the earth (SWER) and still in operation.
Of course there is a catch. In Brazil there is only one national system operator who manages all of the country's power lines, and not competing state transmission companies. So it's guaranteed that those lines will be loaded 100% of the time, specially because Itaipu technically does not have a reservoir, it outputs as much as it collects from rain.
For the many legit reasons we can raise criticism over our military regime over here and the overall "central planning" ethos that came with it, at the very least the military had a technocratic "no bullshit" approach and didn't had to appease deranged treehuggers.
You know, during the Brazilian military regime the guys at government wanted to experiment a proof of concept for DC transmission. So they built both 750 kV AC and a 500 kV DC lines from Itaipu (at the time and for many years largest hydro) to São Paulo region (the load center). The DC has a return by the earth (SWER) and still in operation.
Of course there is a catch. In Brazil there is only one national system operator who manages all of the country's power lines, and not competing state transmission companies. So it's guaranteed that those lines will be loaded 100% of the time, specially because Itaipu technically does not have a reservoir, it outputs as much as it collects from rain.
For the many legit reasons we can raise criticism over our military regime over here and the overall "central planning" ethos that came with it, at the very least the military had a technocratic "no bullshit" approach and didn't had to appease deranged treehuggers.