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

This latest innovation will more than double the present amount of power (about 1 gigawatt) to flow through a cable across distances of 1500km, up from less than 1000km, while keeping transmission losses under 5%.

The new cable offers a 64% capacity increase over 320kV, presently the highest voltage deployed for this type of technology.

By enabling more power over greater distances with reduced losses, ABB’s new 525kV cable technology offers solutions for countries and utilities seeking to enable their electricity transmission systems to integrate more renewable energy being generated by distant solar and wind installations. A single pair of 525kV extruded HVDC cables could for example transmit enough power from giant offshore wind farms in to supply two million households.

“This major technology breakthrough will change the feasibility of renewables projects and play a defining role in using underground and subsea high voltage cables to integrate renewables over long distances,” ABB chief executive Ulrich Spiesshofer says.

“Our collaboration with Borealis has yielded great results and we are very pleased with this partnership.”

The new 525kV cable system, with a power rating of up to 2,600 MW, can be deployed in subsea and underground applications, making it ideal for applications where power must be efficiently delivered through densely populated or environmentally sensitive areas or coastal and open-sea applications.

The new technology offers savings in capital and operational expenses. It also supports the development of DC grids where ABB removed a key technology hurdle with the development of the hybrid HVDC breaker.

The innovative cable system consists of cables, utilizing a new DC cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation material developed with Borealis, a recognised industry leader as well as termination and joints.

HVDC cable links are essential components of future sustainable energy systems that will need to transmit vast amounts of electricity over long distances, often across or between countries. ABB is a global leader in high-voltage cable systems with a worldwide installed base across applications including city center infeeds, oil and gas platform power supplies, subsea interconnections and the integration of renewables. ABB has commissioned more than 25 DC cable connections and almost 100 AC cable links around the world.