Taihan Cable & Solution has received an approval from KEM, a Dutch testing center, for its 525-kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission cable that it said represents the first such one to be certified for a South Korean company.

In a press release, Taihan CEO Song Jong-min announced that the company’s 525kV VSC (Voltage Source Converter) HVDC land cable system was granted certification from KEM. This took place about eight months after the company’s successful development of the first 500kV LCC (Line Commutated Converter) system.

The company said that by increasing the cross-sectional area of the 3,000 sq mm conductor, it was able to raise the allowable conductor temperature to over 90° (194° F). That enables the cable to carry a greater amount of current, a big plus for large-scale power transmission.

The release said that the 525-kV cable is currently the highest voltage among commercialized cables, and that only a few companies in the world have achieved this level of technology. “We have secured unrivaled technological competitiveness in 525kV VSC HVDC cables,” an official from Taihan said. “As investment in power infrastructure expands worldwide, especially in developed markets such as the United States and Europe, we will be able to secure business opportunities in various HVDC projects.”

Once the company completes its submarine cable plant now under construction in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, it will accelerate the development and certification of submarine HVDC cable systems. “As the HVDC market continues to expand in the medium to long term, we are committed to ensuring our technological and business competitiveness.”