The Labrador Island Link is a high voltage direct current (HVdc) transmission line, carrying energy on two ‘poles’ – which are actually cables – at high voltage. While designed to operate up to 900 MW, it’s rarely required to do so, even in colder winter months. The Labrador Island Link typically transfers up to 700 MW, and during the January 2026 frazil ice event at Bay d’Espoir, there were instances where it operated up to 785 MW.

900 MW Testing

On Wednesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 26, our teams successfully completed the final tests on the Labrador Island Link – at its full capacity of 900 MW.

For the 900 MW testing, one pole was intentionally and suddenly shut down, in a controlled manner each day with the expectation that there would be a seamless transfer of power to the second pole. The purpose of this test was to confirm that all systems and equipment function as designed when the line is operating at full power.

These successful tests prove the Labrador Island Link can seamlessly transfer the full 900 MW load to one pole should a trip or outage occur. The power flow is then lowered to 675 MW (the maximum continuous operation with one pole in service) – allowing other generating assets on our electrical system to pick up the lost load without our customers losing power.  

With the Labrador Island Link now fully available to operate up to 900 MW, this will deliver many benefits to the province including opportunities to reduce use of fossil fuel for electricity generation, improved reliability, and increased opportunity to sell power out of province at beneficial times to maximize value for customers. 

A big thanks to all our teams across Hydro who worked diligently behind the scenes, continuing to power our province with safe and reliable electricity!

The Labrador Island Link: How it works

Stretching over a thousand kilometres across rugged terrain and along the seafloor, at the time of construction, the Labrador Island Link became the first physical connection between Labrador and the island of Newfoundland. It’s also the first time that high voltage direct current, or HVdc power, technology was used in the province. HVdc power is more effective for carrying large amounts of power over long distances, and underwater, making it the best choice for bringing power from Labrador to the island.

This complex system is unique, especially where it includes a section which spans underwater for 35 km across the Strait of Belle Isle.  Read more about how it works:

From the Muskrat Falls switchyard and converter station, high voltage alternating current (HVac) power from both the Churchill Falls and Muskrat Falls generating stations, is converted to HVdc power so it can travel over the Labrador Island Link to three submarine cables laid on the sea floor across the Strait of Belle Isle – spanning from Forteau, Labrador, to Shoal Cove, on the island of Newfoundland.

Once on the island, power is transferred via the Labrador Island Link, where it travels 700km across the island to Soldiers Pond. Here, it’s converted to HVac power that can be distributed to and used by homes and businesses.