LS Cable & System announced on June 9 that it has succeeded in commercializing a 525kV ultra-high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable boasting the world's highest transmission capacity. This innovative product is set to be exclusively supplied for Korea Electric Power Corporation's (KEPCO) ‘East Coast-Metropolitan Area’ transmission network Phase 1, the largest HVDC project in South Korea.
The newly developed HVDC cable is designed to withstand high temperatures, increasing the permissible temperature of the conductor from 70°C to 90°C, which enhances the transmission capacity by up to 50%. Deployment of this cutting-edge cable is scheduled to begin in the underground sections of the project this September.
While similar technological developments have occurred outside Korea, this marks the first instance globally where a commercially available product has been applied to a large-scale transmission network. Industry experts regard this as a "milestone in technology commercialization."
The ‘East Coast-Metropolitan Area’ HVDC project is a national priority initiative aimed at efficiently transferring power generated on the East Coast to the metropolitan area. Phase 1 of the construction, currently underway, links the East Coast and Shingapyeong, while Phase 2 will extend connections to the metropolitan region.
HVDC technology, compared to traditional high voltage alternating current (HVAC) systems, features reduced transmission losses and is advantageous for long-distance, high-capacity power transfer, making it a crucial infrastructure for the carbon-neutral era. The corresponding market is predicted to surge from 1.8 trillion won in 2018 to 41 trillion won by 2030.
Even though LS Cable & System entered the HVDC cable development arena in 2008, later than Europe and Japan, it quickly advanced to secure world-class technology. Currently, only six global companies have commercialized HVDC cables, with LS Cable & System being the sole representative from South Korea.
Inho Lee, CTO of LS Cable & System, stated, "The core of HVDC technology lies in commercialization capability. We plan to actively participate in major domestic and international projects including the West Coast HVDC Energy Highway, the East Coast-Metropolitan Area Phase 2, and Germany's TenneT project, in collaboration with LS Marine Solutions."
