Nexans has successfully qualified its HVDC cable systems for the German TSOs for operation at 525 kV. Germany’s four TSOs – 50Hertz, Amprion,TenneT and TransnetBW – were looking for a significant increase in power capacity over the industry-standard 320 kV HVDC, primarily to optimise their investment in cables and civil works for carrying renewable energy over long distances.
Nexans developed its system, based on a triple extruded cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation design, to operate at the ground breaking voltage of 525 kV, with a power rating of 2 GW. In a one-year test programme under real outdoor installation conditions at the third party test facility STRI in Sweden with ambient temperatures from -20°C during winter time and up to +31°C during summer time, the cable system has successfully demonstrated its reliability and performance.
