Successful on-site test of Switzerland's first pressurized air cable connection
Reliability under real conditions: Hivoduct has successfully commissioned Switzerland’s first 145 kV pressurized air cable connection – marking a major technical milestone for the industry.
Hivoduct has successfully tested and commissioned Switzerland’s first 145 kV, 1250 A pressurized air cable connection under real on-site conditions. This important milestone underlines the high quality and reliability of our products in demanding real-world applications.
The on-site testing included phase-by-phase verification in strict accordance with IEC 62271-204: AC voltage testing at 235 kV for one minute and 174 kV for 30 minutes. Partial discharge measurements using integrated UHF sensors confirmed a clean installation, with no phase-correlated partial discharge detected. Prior to this, a CIGRE Sensitivity Check (Step 2) was performed, confirming the sensitivity of the sensor system.
Particularly noteworthy: For this 23-meter connection featuring seven 90-degree bends, just three UHF sensors were sufficient to ensure complete and standard-compliant monitoring.
A special thank you to the testing experts at FKH for the efficient execution of the tests, which were successfully completed within just three working days.
The connection has now been in successful operation for two months and is continuously monitored.
We are pleased with this achievement and look forward to further projects in Switzerland and beyond.
