New Delhi– Multinational power equipment maker ABB’s Indian arm on Tuesday announced it has won a contract worth over Rs 4,350 crore ($640 million) for a power transmission link of over 1,800 km that will bring electricity to more than 80 million people in India.

“The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will connect Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu,” an ABB statement said.

ABB won the contract from state-run transmission utility Power Grid Corp.

“The 1,830 km link will be among the longest in the world. With a capacity of 6,000 megawatts – the equivalent of more than six large power plants – it will be enough to meet the electricity needs of over 80 million people in India,” the company said.

“The two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centers located thousands of kilometers away, supporting electricity demands in the south, when wind strength is low, and transmitting clean energy to the north, when there is excess wind power,” it added. (IANS)