HIGHVOLT commissioned to supply testing systems for XLCC's submarine cables
Thursday 14 April 2022
HIGHVOLT commissioned to supply testing systems for XLCC's submarine cables
After a detailed and extensive selection process, HIGHVOLT was selected by the British company XLCC as the main supplier of test systems for the prequalification, type and routine tests of submarine cables
A newcomer to the industry, XLCC will support the green industry in the UK and overseas by manufacturing HVDC submarine cables with aluminum conductors and XLPE (crosslinked polyethylene) insulation at its Hunterston, Scotland facility. The cables will be used for interconnection projects to enable the transmission of electricity between countries' transmission grids and other high-capacity connections. The first order consists of four cables, each 3800km long, as part of a 3.6GW HVDC subsea cable system for the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project.
For this project, HIGHVOLT was commissioned with the consulting service and the delivery of high-voltage test systems for prequalification, type tests and routine tests.
The consulting service includes the planning of the individual test fields as well as the necessary test systems that are required for the certification and the factory acceptance test. The overall planning, equipment and configuration enables future tests to be carried out for cables with higher voltage levels than before, future-proofing operations for decades to come.
XXL choke for testing super-long cables
“We are pleased to be making a further contribution to the success of the energy transition with this project. In order to master the challenges of the largest project in the company's history, a project team was set up and new employees trained," says Anne Cholawa, project manager at HIGHVOLT.
“The requirements for testing production lengths (20 km) and delivery lengths (> 100 km) are particularly exciting. But it is not only in testing technology that our many years of experience come into play. For the entire test setup, including the cable drums and the roller paths, new solutions with regard to intelligent rewinding, safety aspects and heating of the cable during the tests must be sought. Together with the customer, the machine suppliers and our engineers, the best possible options are worked out and implemented,” says Mario Jochim, Regional Sales Manager at HIGHVOLT.
AC resonance test system
The HIGHVOLT test systems will include a variable frequency for the AC test of the delivery length. The first test systems will be ready for shipment in June and November 2022 and will be put into operation in connection with the construction of the new factory. Alan Mathers, Director at XLCC, commented: "Our goal is to provide the connectivity required for renewable energy to meet future global energy needs. Working with HIGHVOLT and our other expert partners allows us to provide a world-class service."