ABB's breakthrough in cable technology

Published

ABB says they’ve launched the world´s most powerful underground and subsea power transmission cable system.

ABB has developed and tested an extruded cable 525 kilovolt (kV) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system to make renewable energy installations more efficient and cost effective.

Extruded HVDC cables systems have been used in voltage source converter applications on land and under sea.

ABB says in the ten years since its initial introduction, the voltage rating of HVDC Light systems increased six-fold to 320 kV in a relatively straight-forward line of development. However, a true paradigm shift was needed increase capacity beyond 320 kV for extruded cable applications, because insulating 525,000 volts (V) DC from ground with only a few centimeters of insulation is a genuine challenge.

The 525 kV systems can transmit up to 2600MW in a cable pair, underground or subsea. This equals the power generated by several large nuclear power plants, or more than 500 large wind power plants. ABB’s HVDC system enables the transmission of more power over longer distances in a more compact way than traditional AC power transmissions. ABB says the cables can also be used underground where it is difficult or impossible to use overhead lines. 

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