1 s2.0 S2096511720300463 Main
1 s2.0 S2096511720300463 Main
1 s2.0 S2096511720300463 Main
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloei.2020.05.004
Full-length article
Abstract: Power transmission across the sea is an important part of global energy interconnection (GEI). To support the
construction of GEI and to serve the needs of future clean energy trans-sea transportation and offshore wind power
development, this study a) analyzes the requirements of the GEI backbone network pertaining to direct current (DC)
submarine cable technology, and b) defines the key technical and economic indices of ultrahigh-voltage direct current
(UHVDC) submarine cable based on theoretical computations. The research is based on the thermoelectric coupling model
and the finite element method. It is shown that the dielectric strength of the insulating materials of the ±800 kV~±1100 kV/
4000 MW~12000 MW UHVDC submarine cable (extrusion insulation) should be not less than 43~65 kV/mm, while the
heat resistance is not less than 110 °C. As the cost of submarine cable is 5~10 times higher than that of the overhead line,
the project investment need to be decreased to a level within the economical carrying capacity to guarantee extensive
applicability of the HVDC submarine cable technology.
1 Introduction
2096-5117/© 2020 Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications
Co., Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http: //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).
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Xiaoling Zhao et al. Technical and economic demands of HVDC submarine cable technology for Global Energy Interconnection
applied in the Western Link with a capacity of 2200 MW and renewable energy within the continent, the proposed Asian
a voltage of ±600 kV, transferring renewable energy from Energy Interconnection also receives clean energy from
Scotland to load centers in Wales and England. However, the large energy bases located in various continents through a
transmission distance and capacity cannot satisfy the future submarine cable network.
demand of the GEI and other large-scale offshore wind power The main submarine transmission channels include the
explorations [5, 6]. For example, there are approximately Northeast Asia regional channels, and the Middle East–South–
30 overseas transmission channels proposed in the GEI Asia and Europe–South–Asia interconnections. The total
backbone grid, 50% of which have capacities > 8000 MW. transmission distance of the submarine cable is 10,000 km,
Additionally, the longest planed project planned spans a while the total capacity reaches 120 GW, whereby the
distance > 2000 km, while the line loss for the extra high proportion of the UHV projects reaches 45%.
voltage (EHV) is too large for that length. For example, the West Asia is a region with a large
The development of UHV DC submarine cable concentration of solar energy resources in the world.
technology is proposed as the solution that has the capability Its maximum solar energy exploration capacity is ~100
to transmit large capacities to distant locations. Additionally, trillion kWh/year. The surplus of electricity in West Asia is
given that the engineering cost per capacity decreases with expected to be 20 million KW in 2035 and 100 million KW
increasing voltage [7], the construction of the UHV DC in 2050, respectively. To alleviate the imbalance between
submarine cable project will reduce the cost of electricity power supply and demand, the GEI backbone network plans
transmission across the sea. the Oman–India transmission channel with a total length
The present study summarizes the demand for overseas of 2300 km, of which the Oman–India section is 1000 km
power transmission in the GEI backbone grid and proposes across the sea, while the maximum depth is 3500 m.
the target for the DC submarine cable development. To
realize the UHV technology, some key technologies must be
overcome, including the design of the structure, and material
and processing techniques. Among these technologies,
the choice and type of the insulation material is the most
critical. In this case, we constructed a multiphasic mode and
analyzed the dielectric and thermal index for the UHV DC
cable. To promote the widespread application of the DC
submarine cable, the cost of the UHV DC submarine cable
must be acceptable by the investor and decision-making
parties in most counties around the world. Therefore, we
calculated the objective cost of the submarine cable project
Fig. 1 Pathway and depth of submarine transmission
per length according to the difference between the feed-in line between Oman and India
tariff of clean energy bases and the purchasing electricity
price of load centers in the proposed projects in GEI.
2.2 Europe
2 GEI demand As one of the essential power load centers, Europe is
vigorously pursuing policies and concepts to reduce the
Offshore clean energy transportation and grid cross-sea scale of fossil energy and nuclear power utilization to
interconnections will be the main application scenarios of increase the proportion of renewable energy utilization.
HVDC submarine cables in the future [8]. It is estimated It is a pioneer in the implementation of energy reform.
that by 2050, a) there will be a worldwide market capacity The European Interconnected Power Grid aims to build a
~160 GW for a total span of 10,000 km, and b) more strong, ubiquitous European smart grid to ensure efficient
than 50% of the demand will be UHV-grade DC power access to renewable energy, such as the Arctic wind
transmission with a capacity exceeding 8000 MW [3]. power, North Sea wind power, Southern European solar
energy, and North African solar energy, and to connect
2.1 Asia with various types of regulated energy types, such as the
Asia is the world’s largest power load center and has Nordic hydropower.
abundant renewable energy resources. In addition to the In combination with the development and transportation
connection of the major load centers and the transfer of of renewable energy, especially for offshore wind power,
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Global Energy Interconnection Vol. 3 No. 2 Apr. 2020
the submarine cable interconnection backbone channels that range distribution and high efficient use of renewable energy
are interconnected by the European transnational continents resources both intercontinental and transcontinental. The main
include the Nordic regional, Nordic–European, and the channels of the submarine cable network for North American
European–African interconnections. The total distance trans-continental grid interconnection are: Greenland
of the submarine cable is 9000 km, the total capacity is arctic wind power access channel, North America-Asia
120 GW, and the proportion of UHV submarine cable interconnection channel and North America- South America
engineering is 69%. interconnection channel. The total distance of submarine
Greenland is an important Arctic wind power cable transportation is 5000 km and the total capacity 40 GW,
development base. The Greenland–Iceland–UK transmission all of which are UHV submarine cable projects.
channel included in the GEI is an important way for the Greenland arctic wind power access channel has a total
transportation of Greenland’s wind power resources to be length of 1000 km. The maximum depth is 1457 m, 140 km
transported to the UK and the European continent. The away from the coast of Canada.
length of the Iceland–UK section is 830 km. The maximum
depth at 170 km from the UK is 1100 m.
2.4 Africa
The proposed African interconnected power grid intends
to realize the joint operation of North Africa’s solar power
and wind power bases with central African hydropower
and the Southern African solar power bases to meet the
power consumption needs of the entire continent. These
interconnections will form a new pattern of electricity
transmission from the north to the south and from east to
west, with the connection with European and Asian grids.
The channels of submarine cable backbone in Africa
include the East–Africa–West–Africa Channel and the Africa–
European Interconnected Channel. The total length is 4000 km,
Fig. 2 Pathway and depth of submarine transmission
while the total capacity is 50 GW. The proportion of the
line between Iceland and UK UHV submarine cable engineering reaches 40%.
The North Africa region is rich in solar and wind power
resources, and can effectively compensate for the power
2.3 North America shortage in the energy transformation process in Europe.
North America’s middle region and west wind power The Algeria–France–Germany ±800 kV three-terminal DC
base, southwest solar power base and Canada hydropower project is an important channel for the transportation of
base are connected with the load centers of the west and clean energy from North Africa to Europe. The length of the
east by North American power grid. The east load center line is approximately 2400 km. The Lyon–Walgra section
receives Arctic wind power from Greenland and the west is 840 km long across the sea and 2731 m deep at a location
interconnects Asian grid from Alaska, achieving the large- 440 km away from France.
Fig. 3 Oversea power transmission route and sea depth of Fig. 4 Pathway and depth of submarine line between Lyon,
Greenland-Canada section France, and Walgra in Algeria
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Xiaoling Zhao et al. Technical and economic demands of HVDC submarine cable technology for Global Energy Interconnection
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Global Energy Interconnection Vol. 3 No. 2 Apr. 2020
Boundary condition
Type Parameter
±800 kV ±1100 kV
Conductor
s ≤ 4000 mm2 s ≤ 4500 mm2
area s
Structure
Insulation
d ≤ 45 mm d ≤ 43 mm
thickness d
2500 A (4000 MW), 5454 A
I at 1.0 pu
(5000 A) 8000 MW (12000 MW)
Current
3000 A (4000 MW), 6545 A
I at 1.2 pu
6000 A (8000 MW) (12000 MW)
Working (b) Electric field
T T ≤ 110 °C
Temperature Fig. 5 Operating characteristics of cable laid in seawater
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Xiaoling Zhao et al. Technical and economic demands of HVDC submarine cable technology for Global Energy Interconnection
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Global Energy Interconnection Vol. 3 No. 2 Apr. 2020
projects for the coming 30 years is ±800 kV/8000 MW, and the range of 4000–12,000 MW should be no less than 43~65
is estimated to involve ±500 kV/2000 MW, ±500 kV/3000 kV/mm, while the heat resistance needs to be>110 °C. The
MW, and ±600 kV/4000 MW UHV projects. future cross-sectional area of the cable conductor is expected to
It is estimated that the comprehensive cost for unit be in the range of 1250–4500 mm2.
lengths of ±500 kV/2000 MW and 3000 MW DC submarine (3) To realize the worldwide applications of UHV DC
cables should be less than $2.5 million/km, while those submarine cable technology, some key economic indices
for unit lengths of ±600 kV/4000 MW and ±800 kV/8000 need to be reached. It is expected that ±500 kV/2000–3000
MW will be less than less than $3 and $7 million/km, MW, ±600 kV/4000 MW, and ±800 kV/8000 MW DC
respectively. If there is a project demand of ±800 kV/8000 submarine cables need to be decreased to approximately
MW in the short term whose technical level has not yet been $2.50, $3.0, and $7.0 million/km, to ensure comparative
reached, the solution of a double circuit in parallel of ±800 market competitiveness with overhead line costs.
kV/4000 MW can be considered, and each single-circuit
cost needs to exceed $3.8 million/km. Acknowledgements
Table 2 Estimated cost of EHV and UHV submarine cable This work was supported by the Global Energy
Interconnection Group Co., Ltd. Science and Technology
Economic targets
Voltage Capacity Price difference Project (Project No.101662224/Title: UHV large-capacity
(single circuit,
(kV) (MW) ($/kWh) DC submarine cable key technology and roadmap
$ million/km)
research) and by the National Key R&D Program of China
±500 2000–3000 0.78–3.53 2.5
(2016YFB0900702).
±600 4000 1.01–3.43 3.0
±800 4000 1.25–6.32 3.8
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±800 8000 1.25–6.32 7.0
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Xiaoling Zhao et al. Technical and economic demands of HVDC submarine cable technology for Global Energy Interconnection
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Lisheng Zhong received the Ph.D. degree in
Electrical Engineering from Xi’an Jiao Tong
Biographies University, in 1997. He is working in Xi’an
Jiao Tong University, Xi’an. His research
Xiaoling Zhao received her bachelor’s degree
interests include dielectric and electrical
from the Wuhan University, Wuhan, in 2013,
insulation, cable technology, and bio-
and her Ph.D. degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai, in 2018. She is currently dielectrics.
working in GEIDCO, Beijing. Her research (Editor Zhou Zhou)
interests include high-voltage insulation, GIS,
and submarine cable technology.
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