Overview
IEC TR 62672:2018 - Reliability and availability evaluation of HVDC systems is a technical report from the IEC that defines a standardized reporting protocol for evaluating reliability and availability of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems. The report applies to both line-commutated converters (LCC) and voltage-sourced converters (VSC) and covers point-to-point, back-to-back and multi‑terminal HVDC configurations. Its primary purpose is to ensure that outage, fault and performance data collected from different HVDC installations can be compared on an equitable, consistent basis.
Key topics and technical requirements
The report provides structured guidance and definitions to support consistent reliability reporting and includes:
- Scope and normative references clarifying applicability to HVDC used for utility power exchange.
- Terms, definitions and symbols for outage types, duration, availability, utilization and commutation-failure performance.
- Equipment classification covering AC equipment, valves, DC equipment, control & protection, transmission lines (overhead and cables), electrodes and auxiliary systems.
- Fault event classification, severity codes and restoration codes to standardize how events are recorded and rated.
- Instructions for compilation of reports including required tables for forced outages, scheduled outages, protection operations, AC faults/commutation failures, converter unit hours and outage summaries.
- Interpretation and evaluation methods for outage durations, external event treatment, protective operations and special control performance.
- Informative annexes with an outage log form, worked examples and a sample annual report to facilitate implementation.
The document aligns reporting tables with recognised industry practice (see references to Cigré TB 590) and prescribes how to record and categorize events, but does not prescribe specific reliability targets.
Practical applications and intended users
IEC TR 62672 is intended for professionals needing consistent, comparable HVDC performance data, including:
- Transmission system operators (TSOs) and utility planners for performance benchmarking and reliability planning.
- Asset managers and maintenance engineers for outage recording, root‑cause analysis and lifecycle decision-making.
- HVDC project teams and manufacturers for acceptance testing, commissioning reports and post‑commissioning performance tracking.
- Regulators and researchers who require standardized datasets to compare technologies (LCC vs VSC), configurations (point‑to‑point, multi‑terminal) or operational practices.
Using this standard improves data quality for reliability studies, benchmarking, regulatory reporting and reliability-centered maintenance strategies.
Related standards and references
- Cigré technical guidance (e.g., TB 590) - referenced for reporting table correspondence.
- IEC corpus on power system terminology and equipment standards (see IEC catalogue for related publications).
Keywords: IEC TR 62672, HVDC reliability, HVDC availability, high-voltage direct current, LCC, VSC, outage reporting, fault classification, multi-terminal HVDC.