DaeHan Electric Wire & Cable Obtains International Certification for 525kV Voltage-Type HVDC Cable

Voltage-Type Cables, Increasing Utilization in Renewable Energy Generation

Daehan Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. announced on the 2nd that it has completed the development of a 525-kilovolt (kV) voltage-type ultra-high voltage direct current (HVDC) land cable system and obtained KEMA international certification. Following the development of the first 500kV current-type HVDC in Korea last December, the company has achieved additional success. KEMA international certification is a highly credible certification that allows export and commercialization without additional testing.

525kV is the highest voltage among commercially available HVDC cables to date. Due to the complexity of development, only a few global companies possess the technology. Daehan Electric Wire & Cable designed the cable conductor cross-sectional area to be 3000SQ (㎟) and raised the allowable conductor temperature to over 90℃ to complete the certification. This is the first time certification has been obtained applying such standards. It is also difficult to find successful development cases overseas. The larger the conductor cross-sectional area and the higher the allowable temperature, the more current the cable can carry, making it advantageous for large-capacity transmission.

HVDC is a method of converting alternating current (AC) power generated at power plants into direct current (DC) for transmission. It is considered a core technology for long-distance, large-capacity transmission, and the related market is growing. HVDC is divided into voltage-type and current-type depending on the conversion method. Voltage-type HVDC has become a recent global trend due to its ease of bidirectional transmission and converter station installation. In particular, as applications in renewable energy generation such as wind and solar power increase, demand is expected to expand.

Daehan Electric Wire is conducting certification tests under the supervision of KEMA Laps at the KEPCO Power Research Institute Gochang Power Test Center. /
[Photo by Daehan Electric Wire]

Actual European transmission system operators (TSOs) are adopting voltage-type HVDC for many renewable energy generation grid connection projects and cross-country power grid interconnection (supergrid) projects currently underway. The industry estimates that the global HVDC cable market size will grow from 70 trillion won in 2020 to 159 trillion won by 2030.

A Daehan Electric Wire & Cable official said, "Following the acquisition of certification for the 500kV current-type HVDC cable for the first time in Korea, we have secured technological competitiveness in the 525kV voltage-type HVDC cable as well. As large-scale power infrastructure investments are expanding worldwide, especially in advanced markets such as the United States and Europe, we expect to secure business opportunities in various HVDC projects."

He added, "Once the offshore cable factory under construction in Dangjin, Chungnam is completed, we will accelerate the development and certification of HVDC submarine cable systems. We are fully committed to securing technological and business competitiveness to actively respond to the continuously expanding HVDC market in the mid to long term."

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