Medium voltage DC (MVDC) grids for an all-electric society

As the global energy landscape shifts toward carbon-neutral sources and electrification of industrial, transport, and consumer sectors, the concept of an “all-electric society” is rapidly becoming reality. This transformation demands a re-thinking of electricity infrastructure, as traditional alternating current (AC)-based electricity grids face mounting challenges from rising demand, distributed generation, and aging assets. Medium voltage direct current (MVDC) technology emerges as a compelling solution to support this transition. This IEC White Paper provides an overview of how MVDC can ease the shift to an all-electric society and outlines its strategic value in enhancing power system performance and sustainability. It highlights MVDC’s superior power-carrying capacity, improved energy efficiency, and better material and resources optimization compared to AC systems, while offering advanced control capabilities for active network management. The paper also identifies key barriers, including cost, technical maturity, and compatibility with legacy systems. To help realize MVDC’s benefits, the paper recommends IEC and stakeholders to collaborate in encouraging new R&D efforts to reduce the technical challenges of MVDC grid operations. Furthermore, it stresses the need for targeted standardization efforts in the area and a suggestion to establish a dedicated technical committee or subcommittee to harmonize global MVDC standards. This white paper has been prepared by a project team representing a variety of organizations, working under the IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB). The project team included representatives from electrical power network businesses, standards organizations and equipment vendors from around the world. The project sponsor was Dr Taekyun Kim, President & CEO, KEPCO Engineering & Construction Company, Inc. Project management was led by Dr Wookyu Chae from Korea Electric Power Corporation. Coordinating author and project partner was Dr Glenn Platt from N.OGEE consulting. This IEC White Paper is available for free download