Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
2008
www.europacable.com
I. Introduction to Europacable
Europacable is:
Association of European Cable Manufacturers including:
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I. Introduction to European Copper Institute
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II. Technical questions on extra high voltage
underground cables
1. 400 kV XLPE Cable
2. 400kV XLPE Cable Joint Bay
3. Trench size
4. Constructions issues – urban areas
5. Construction issues – countryside trenching
6. Transmission losses
7. Impact on the network
8. Environmental impacts
9. Reliability
10. Costs
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1. 400 kV XLPE Cable
400 kV XLPE Cable:
Used for commercial purposes for more than 25
years
current state of the art technology
easier installation and jointing
environmentally low risk
almost maintenance free
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2. 400 kV XLPE Cable Joint Bay
The 400 kV cables can be delivered in lengths up to 1000 m
Cable joint bays - generally unobtrusive underground structures
Temporary tents are set-up only during installation
Only exceptionally are cable joint bays buried in specific
compounds (13m X 3m)
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3. Trench size
Width of trench:
Dependent on the number of cables
Number of cables depends on desired
transmission capacity
Transmission capacity needs to be
defined realistically
In principle, a trench for underground
cables is not as wide as the right of way
required for overhead lines
Overhead-Underground Transition Stations:
Can be size of tennis court , but in
some cases a football field
At voltages of 275kV and below, can
be applied directly onto a pylon
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4. Construction issues – urban areas
Trench per system: ca 1.5 m deep, 1-2 m wide
Access for heavy machinery needs to be available along the line
Underground cables can easily be placed next to, under or between
roads
Subsequently the area is re-instated to original condition
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5. Constructions issues - Countryside Trenching
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6. Transmission losses
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7. Impact on the network
Insertion of new interconnections in existing networks require
detailed planning;
Studies on several 400 kV transmission grids show that the
characteristics of underground cables can in many cases be
beneficial to the overall performance of the network;
A grid-study should be carried out for very long cable
connections, i.e. more than 20 km, to evaluate whether additional
installations for reactive compensation are needed;
If needed, these additional measures can be applied at existing
substations or corridors and do not require any extra compound
area for installation.
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8. Environmental impacts
Possible heating of ground:
– Operating temperature of an underground cable depends on the
current carried, cable resistance and loss of the resulting heat into
the surroundings
– How much heat is distributed to the surrounding soil depends on the
filling material used around the cable
– Under extreme conditions of use, the soil directly over the trench can
heat up by approximately 2 °C
– This could cause drying of the soil under certain circumstances
There are no restrictions for the cultivation of land, although
vegetation with deep roots must be avoided;
Underground cables emit no electric field and can be
engineered to emit a lower magnetic field than an OHL;
Underground cables do not create any environemntal
burden through the creation of noise.
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9. Reliability & Life expectancy
Disturbance of underground cables occurs less frequently than for
overhead lines - Underground cables are not affected by severe
weather.
Only outside influences can disturb and damage underground cables
In use, cables do not require maintenance;
Reliability of XLPE-isolated cables:
– Producers guarantee homogeneous cable quality according to
international standards (IEC 62067);
– Repairs caused by damage:
• Quick and precise location of errors with modern monitoring
technology
• Reparation time 2 - 3 weeks (if, as recommended, spare
parts are kept in stock);
Careful long-term testing has been conducted and life expectancy of
XLPE-insulated cables is approximately 30 - 40 years.
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10. Costs
Underground cables are – at installation – more expensive than
overhead lines due to higher product and installation costs;
Cost comparisons often only address costs of installation and ignore
lifecycle costs such as losses, outage costs, maintenance,
decommissioning, costs of delay in getting authorisations & impact on
those affected by the line (e.g. visual amenity, property value);
¾ A comprehensive life-cycle analysis should take these into consideration
Furthermore:
Every project is different and it is not possible to make generic cost
estimates;
Depending on ground and surface characteristics, the cost of installation
works can increase up to 60%, which will benefit local companies;
Partial undergrounding can create predictability for planning and have a
positive effect on authorisation procedures and costs;
Latest life-cycle analysis confirm that the cost factor compared to
overhead lines can be as little as 2–5 times for many situations.
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III. Examples of ongoing underground
cable projects in Europe
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1. Germany: Lower Saxony
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2. Austria: Salzburg link
Bruck
the average bill.
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3. Scotland: Beauly – Denny 400kV line
Application for 220km 400/275kV OHL TSO Beauly PA
area
from Beauly to Denny submitted to Scottish area
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4. Italy: The Turbigo-Rho 400 kV Project
Power station
2560 MW
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4. Italy: the Turbigo-Rho 400 kV Project
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5. Number of EHV Cable Installations Globally
1994- 2005
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11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
94-95 96-97 98-99 00-01 02-03 04-05
* Projects started
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6. Length of km of EHV underground cable
220-400kV: 1996- 2006
1996 2006 Change %
Austria 48 59 23
Denmark 31 52 68
France 600 914 52
Germany 99 110 11
Ireland 64 106 66
Italy 130 231 78
Netherlands 6 12.5 108
Spain 31 558 1700
UK 553 662 20
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7. Examples of major 400kV projects in Europe
Location Project Cable circuits Time
x period
Length (km)
Copenhagen Elimination of OHLs in urban area 1x12, 1x22 1996/9
Berlin Connect West/East systems 2x12 1996-00
Vale of York (UK) Area of outstanding beauty 4x6 2000/1
Madrid Barajas Airport expansion 2x13 2002/3
Jutland, DK Area of outstanding beauty, 2x14 2002/3
waterway & semi urban areas
London London Ring 1x20 2002/5
Rotterdam Randstad “ring” waterway crossings 2x2.1 2004/5
Vienna Provide power to centre of city 2x5.5 2004/5
Milan Section of Turbigo-Rho line 2x8.5 2005/6
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IV. Discussion
The completion of the European internal electricity grid is of fundamental
importance:
To stabilize the European electricity grid
To create extra transmission capacities (to cover new power stations
as well as renewable energies)
XLPE cables are a modern, reliable transmission technology;
Europacable believes that extra high voltage underground cables are
rarely appropriate for an entire new AC power transmission project;
Partial undergrounding is an alternative for:
– Land with outstanding natural or environmental heritage or
vulnerable eco-systems;
– Areas where land is unavailable or planning consent is difficult to
obtain within an acceptable timeframe;
Costs for underground cables can de reduced to a multiple of 2 - 5 times
when the whole life-cycle cost is assessed.
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OVERVIEW OF UNDERGROUND POWER
CABLES AT HIGH/EXTRA HIGH VOLTAGE
LEVELS
2008
www.europacable.com