Seoul: Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., a prominent South Korean builder, announced on Tuesday that it has secured a significant contract worth 1 trillion won (US$713.9 million) to install power transmission lines in Saudi Arabia. The contract is awarded by National Grid SA, a subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Co., to construct the initial 369-kilometer segment of a 500-kilovolt, 1,089-kilometer high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line, which will connect Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to the Kudmi converter station located in the southwestern part of the country. According to Yonhap News Agency, this project marks the first HVDC double bi-pole transmission line structure in Saudi Arabia, designed to have a total capacity of 4,000 megawatts. The construction is planned to be completed by January 2027. The HVDC technology involved in this project is instrumental in converting alternating current (AC) from power plants into high-voltage direct current for efficient long-distance transm ission, minimizing energy loss and ensuring compatibility with AC systems of varying frequencies to enhance stability and efficiency. Hyundai E and C has an extensive history of undertaking projects in Saudi Arabia, with a portfolio of 33 transmission line projects completed since 1976. Notably, last year the company secured a contract to construct HVDC transmission lines between Saudi Arabia's futuristic city of Neom and the western port city of Yanbu.