The world’s first longest jointless 500 kV cross-linked polyethylene submarine cable was delivered to the factory on Friday in Changshu, a county level city in Suzhou. This indicates that China's submarine cable independent research and development and manufacturing level ranks among the best in the world.
The submarine cable is known as the "crown jewel" in the field of optical cables. The 18.00-kilometer-long submarine cable manufactured by Hengtong Company successfully passed a 60-minute 580-kV factory pressure test, creating a “highest voltage rating in the world, the longest submarine cable without a joint” in the cross-linked polyethylene fiber composite material.
In actual operation, if a submarine cable has a joint, it may easily become a weak point of electric breakdown, making the cable ineffective. The entire jointless cable eliminates this weak point, making the submarine cable more reliable.
The submarine cable will be used in the 500 kV continental connection project between Ningbo, Zhejiang and Zhoushan, providing a strong power guarantee for the construction of the Zhoushan Islands New District. Previously, there was no domestic production capacity of more than 220 kV submarine cables with both technology and products depending on imports.
This marks the first time that China’s submarine cable has achieved breakthrough achievements and is a major milestone in our national industry, said Yang Liming, Chief Cable Expert of the State Grid’s Electric Power Research Institute.
(Source: Jiangsu International Channel)