WCA January 2009

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2009 29
Search and develop – not to get burned
For the purposes of fire prevention
and to ensure the safety of people
and assets, a number of laws,
decrees and regulations have been
introduced, to which engineers,
manufacturers, technicians and
users must comply.
Electrical cables are among the
structural elements that need to
satisfy fire resistance requirements.
In particular, their behaviour
has been analysed under fire
conditions and reference standards
have been established through
the development of international
norms. These standards specify the relevant test apparatus to be used to
simulate fire conditions in order to test and analyse reactions of the electrical
cables as if they were in their working condition. This apparatus allows cable
manufacturers to test products and ensure they comply with international
standards where necessary.
In particular, these tests focus on flame spread (reference standard: IEC
60332-1-1) fire spread (IEC 60332-3-10), emission of toxic smoke and gases
(reference standards: IEC 60754-1 / IEC 60754-2 / IEC 61034-1) and fire
resistance (IEC 60331-11).
In recent years many companies have purchased test equipment to test their
products, and therefore to guarantee the necessary requirements and to sell in
specific sectors, and as part of a research and development strategy. SIF MDC
produces the complete range of test equipment, not only respecting the standard
requirements, but also adding or customising any piece of equipment to further
improve its performance or ease of use.
SIF MDC – Italy Fax: +39 035 4559358
Email: Website :
SIF MDC m m
BritNed contract for ABB
ABB is providing the cables for a high-voltage connection between the power
grids of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company began
manufacturing the high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables in August 2008
and expects to complete the needed 500km of cable in April 2010.
The 260km BritNed link will allow energy trading between the two countries
and increase the reliability of electricity supplies to both. “BritNed is another
step towards an integrated electricity network for Europe,” said Peter Leupp,
head of ABB’s Power Systems division.
The cables will provide a link between the Isle of Grain in Kent and Maasvlakte
in the Netherlands. Laying of the land-based sections was scheduled for late
2008, while the marine cable installation is expected to begin in April 2009.
The 119mm diameter cable sea cables will weigh approximately 44kg per
metre and will be installed by cable-laying vessels. The system will have a
total capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and will be in operation by 2011.
HVDC technology is used to transport electrical power over long distances
with low losses using underground or submarine cables. ABB pioneered the
technology in the 1950s, when the company built the world’s first commercial
HVDC transmission link in Sweden and has since supplied more than half of
the world’s HVDC projects, providing an installed transmission capacity of
more than 45,000 MW.
ABB’s HVDC projects include the world’s longest underground power link (in
Australia) and the world’s longest underwater connection, the NorNed project
between Norway and the Netherlands.
ABB Ltd – Switzerland Website: