Introduction
As power grids around the world face mounting pressure to decarbonize, expand, and modernize, a once-overlooked component of transmission infrastructure has emerged as a key enabler of progress: the conductor itself. While traditional designs like ACSR and ACSS have served the industry well for decades, the grid’s evolving demands require a higher-performing alternative. Enter CTC Global’s ACCC® Conductor - a technology that is redefining what’s possible for both new EHV transmission lines and the strategic upgrade of existing ones.
A new report from the Energy Institute at Haas (University of California, Berkeley, February 2024) has brought national attention to this potential. In a comprehensive analysis of advanced conductors, the authors emphasized the unique opportunity they present: increasing capacity within existing rights-of-way, reducing project timelines, and avoiding the permitting delays and community resistance that so often stall new transmission corridors. ACCC® Conductor was singled out for its superior ability to reduce line losses and carry more power over long distances, all while minimizing the need for new infrastructure.
This blog-style paper offers a narrative overview of how ACCC® Conductor is meeting this moment. Through case studies and real-world examples from five countries, we illustrate why this technology is becoming a first-choice solution for grid operators, engineers, and policy planners.
The Case for Advanced Conductors in New and Existing Lines
The expansion of clean energy has exposed a critical bottleneck: not enough transmission capacity. While many policymakers and utilities acknowledge the need to build more high-voltage lines, doing so has proven expensive, time-consuming, and politically fraught. That’s why the Energy Institute at Haas argues that reconductoring - especially with advanced conductors like ACCC® - is a low-hanging fruit.
But the case for ACCC® goes well beyond reconductoring. For new EHV lines, where every additional megawatt of capacity counts, the technology offers tangible benefits: fewer and shorter structures, smaller environmental footprints, and higher efficiency from the outset. Whether expanding across plains or threading through congested cities, ACCC® enables smarter, faster builds and better long-term economics.
Lessons from the Field: Six Projects That Illustrate the Value of ACCC®
In Bangladesh, a country undergoing a rapid energy transformation, several large-scale ACCC® installations illustrate the conductor’s role in modern grid development. The 131 km, 400 kV Kaliakoir–Bogura transmission line, energized in 2025, showcases how ACCC® enabled higher current-carrying capacity without excessive tower height or structural complexity. The conductor’s low-sag profile allowed for tighter corridors, helping speed construction and reduce land use impacts. Funded by the Government of Bangladesh and the Indian Exim Bank, this project has become a regional benchmark.
Just down the line, the 112 km Barapukuria–Bogura corridor, engineered by Tata Projects Ltd., took similar advantage of ACCC® Dhaka Conductor’s strength and thermal capabilities. The use of fewer towers and a reduced right-of-way not only saved time and money but also helped navigate regulatory and community concerns - common barriers to new transmission builds.
Western Bangladesh’s Bogura–Rohanpur line, another 400 kV project stretching 104 km, adopted ACCC® in twin-bundle configurations to replace aging ACSR Finch conductors. Backed by the Asian Development Bank, the upgrade project didn’t just improve reliability - it doubled capacity and reduced losses, all while keeping the existing tower infrastructure intact.
In Vietnam, the 500 kV Nhon Trach–Phu My–Nha Be line, built to address surging power demand in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas, applied ACCC® Lisbon in a quad-bundled configuration. ACCC®'s compact design and low-sag characteristics allowed the line to be routed through high-density development zones where conventional conductors would have required major infrastructure changes.
Greece’s Peloponnese region presents a different challenge: mountainous terrain and wind power integration. There, a new 400 kV line using ACCC® Conductor demonstrated how the conductor could enable long spans, reduce tower count, and efficiently move renewable energy from remote generation sites to urban load centers. Supported by the Hellenic TSO and EU clean energy funding, the project also highlights the synergy between conductor performance and policy goals.
Meanwhile, in India, a technically demanding 400 kV Ganga River crossing used ACCC® Ganga ULS Conductor to span wide water without mid-river towers. Sterlite Power’s innovative design eliminated costly and environmentally sensitive tower foundations, while ensuring robust long-term performance over an essential transmission corridor.
Broader Evidence: What the U.S. and China Have Taught Us
Though this narrative focuses on 400 kV and above, lower voltage deployments offer critical insight into ACCC®’s broader utility. American Electric Power’s award-winning 345 kV reconductoring project replaced two 120-mile ACSR lines with ACCC® Conductor while the system remained energized. The result: nearly doubled capacity, a 30% reduction in losses (equal to 300,000 MWh/year), $15 million in annual energy savings, and the elimination of 200,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year. This project alone demonstrates the efficiency dividend that reconductoring with ACCC® Conductor can deliver.
In China, ACCC® was deployed at the world’s highest voltage level. As part of the 3,300 km ±1100 kV Zhundong–Huainan UHVDC line, CTC Global’s partner supplied 291 km of ACCC® for the grounding network - a critical safety and reliability function in one of the most ambitious transmission undertakings on the planet.
Efficiency: The Most Underrated Transmission Metric
The 2024 Haas Energy Institute study makes it clear: reducing losses isn’t just an operational side benefit - it’s a central policy lever. Every megawatt lost in transmission is one that must be generated, often by burning more fuel. ACCC® Conductor reduces line losses by 25 to 40% compared to traditional conductors. Over time, this adds up to significant savings in generation costs, reduced emissions, and lower prices for end users. These outcomes also support climate goals and avoid the need to overbuild generation just to compensate for an inefficient grid.
A Clearer Path Forward
Whether building new EHV lines or upgrading existing ones, utilities today are being asked to deliver more with less. Less time. Less money. Less public resistance. ACCC® Conductor helps meet those demands - not by cutting corners, but by enabling smarter, more efficient infrastructure. It reduces losses, increases capacity, and minimizes environmental impact - delivering better performance without the need for costly new corridors.
As more grid planners embrace reconductoring and high-performance materials, ACCC® Conductor is poised to be at the center of the transmission transformation. Its global track record of more than 1,350 completed projects proves it’s not just a promising technology - it’s a practical one, ready to meet the challenges of the modern grid.
For more information please visit www.ctcglobal.com