Taihan Cable & Solution announced on Dec. 5 that it has completed the development of a 500kV line commutated converter (LCC) XLPE high voltage direct current (HVDC) land cable system and obtained internationally accredited certification.
500 kV is the highest voltage among LCC XLPE HVDC cable systems developed so far, and Taihan has completed KEMA international certification. It has become the first company in Korea and the second in the world after Japan to complete KEMA certification for 500 kV LCC XLPE HVDC cable. KEMA certification is an internationally accredited certification with which export and commercialization without separate testing are possible.
HVDC has less power loss than AC (Alternating Current) and has no restriction in the transmission distance, so it is touted to be a key technology for long-distance large-scale power transmission. The demand for HVDC is growing rapidly internationally as the demand for inter-country power grid connection (Super grid) and renewable energy sources based on DC such as solar power, wind power, and fuel cells increase. Industry experts forecast the global market size of HVDC cables will expand from 70 trillion won in 2020 to 159 trillion won in 2030.
In particular, HVDC, which is insulated with XLPE, has excellent insulation and heat resistance performance and high durability, so the demand for HVDC is rapidly growing in advanced markets such as Europe and the United States.
The company completed the KEMA certification at the KEPCO Electric Power Research Institute’s Gochang Power Test Center. It said the certification has high significance in that the test was conducted by applying technical specifications higher than international standards so that it can be immediately used in large-scale HVDC projects scheduled to be conducted in Korea. By obtaining this certification, Taihan is officially recognized for its technology and stability, while at the same time securing an opportunity to participate in large-scale projects.
Furthermore, Taihan also succeeded in the KEMA international certification test for VSC (Voltage Source Converter) 500 kV HVDC cable in addition to LCC XLPE 500 kV HVDC cable. As a result, Taihan is equipped with technical capabilities for 500 kV HVDC land cable systems of all conversion methods, such as XLPE LCC and VSC, including the 500 kV MI-PPLP (Mass Impregnated Polypropylene Laminated Paper) HVDC developed in 2017, which allows Taihan to actively respond to the market.
