Following the completion of testing, Italian cabling giant Prysmian revealed it was ready to launch the new global standard for high voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable systems qualifying the use of 525 kV cables at an increased operating temperature of up to 90°C.

Founded on the higher withstand temperature of the cable plastic insulation while operating, this means that the maximum power that can be transmitted through a single 525 kV link increases from the current standard of 2 GW to 2.5 GW, and this power can already be deployed in the existing HVDC network infrastructure with no impacts on the rest of the system.

Raul Gil, EVP Transmission at Prysmian: “Thanks to this innovation, quite simply, we can make the essential energy projects that modern electricity connections need, more affordable. That should then over time pass into people’s wallets as we cut energy bills. And this is not a trick to keep bills down through subsidy, but a real long-term sustainable solution. This is good news for anyone paying for their energy bills, and our customers, and governments around the world should be celebrating this achievement as much as we are.”

According to Prysmian, this is a significant boost for operational efficiency, as higher power transfers can be made without increasing voltage or converter and platform sizes, enabling more efficient power transmission in multi-terminal grids and hybrid interconnectors, combining long-distance energy transmission and offshore wind generation in a single and better-utilized asset.

Thanks to the capabilities of the new 525 kV 90°C technology, there is the potential to transfer energy to power up to 2.5 million homes, an increase of over 500,000 homes in respect to the previous generation of 525 kV system technology, the Italian company said.

“The result of this breakthrough is one everyone will appreciate – a more affordable energy transition as the increased efficiency can become real cost savings for consumers. Thanks to this breakthrough we can transfer more energy in a more effective way, and plug-in this into existing high voltage DC networks. This technology is not only a European first but also sets the global standard of what is possible for submarine energy cables,” said Srinivas Siripurapu, Chief R&D, Sustainability and Innovation Officer at Prysmian.