Prysmian Presents Its Latest HVDC Innovation

Prysmian said it is set to launch a new breakthrough cable technology for the development of power transmission grids that should ensure higher electrical performances, lower costs and better environmental sustainability.

The company said it has successfully developed and tested its new P-Laser 600 kV cable system for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) applications.

“This milestone innovation shapes the progress of the entire HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) cable industry, reaching 3.5 GW per bipole, the highest power rating ever, with cost reductions of up to 30% per transmitted MW,” stated Massimo Battaini, senior vice president Energy Projects at Prysmian Group. “The successful testing at 600 kV is further proof of the quality and robustness of the P-Laser insulation technology.”

P-Laser is the name given to this new technology using an in-house developed thermoplastic material – known as HPTE (High Performance Thermoplastic Elastomer) – that permits a more efficient cable production with lower environmental impact than traditional XLPE, where the manufacture is performed in a single and continuous process. A key feature of this new insulation technology is that, compared to XLPE, it does not require a chemical reaction during manufacture to achieve the material properties required for the long term electrical integrity of HVDC insulation systems. This feature gives the additional benefit of shorter production times and results in both reduced energy consumption as well as lower greenhouse gas emissions. P-Laser technology is fully compatible with existing cable and accessory technologies and provides a better electrical performance and a higher reliability in comparison to traditional XLPE-insulated cables.

P-Laser application to HVDC underground and submarine systems marks a world first in the cable industry. This milestone achievement follows the Group’s announcement in May this year of the successful type testing for the XLPE extruded cable solution at the same voltage level (600 kV DC) and is the third insulation technology made available by Prysmian for UHVDC (Ultra High Voltage DC) in less than 1 year.

Source: Prysmian