Standardising quality and increasing robustness in cables are essential

Manjit Singh, Executive Director – Cables, KEC in an interview with EPR Magazine.

Global energy efficiency trends impacting solar cables market 

With renewables playing a crucial role in ensuring a greener world, solar energy will not only dominate the world in the future, but will be another element of global interconnection, especially due to initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and its One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG) commitment. 

The solar ecosystem’s efficiencies are directly linked to the cables used to connect different parts of the ecosystem to the grid. Frequent cable failures may result in lowering the system efficiencies and therefore, demand for solar cables with properties like UV Resistance, Thermal/Mechanical load withstand capability, minimum power and dielectric losses, wide temperature range, and ability to resist deformation under extreme environmental conditions will increase in multifold, to ensure continuous and reliable generation of power with minimal losses. In line with global trends and requirements. 

Ensuring smooth operations and attain maximum efficiency 

Synonymous with superior quality and reliability, KEC Asian Cables offers an extensive range of cables and HT and EHV turnkey cabling solutions across 80+ countries. With over six decades of rich experience in the industry, we specialise in manufacturing power cables, control and instrumentation cables, railway contact, catenaries conductors, signaling squad cables, telecom cables and special cables for wide range of applications. 

Our inhouse R&D team leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing quality cables, which are also easy to install and operationally reliable. We also take multiple measures ranging from optimising design parameters to imbibing properties like low losses, outdoor durability, UV resistance, lifetime reliability, recyclability, flexibility, halogen free and flame resistance etc., which play a crucial role in meeting with quality requirements. To ensure high quality and robustness as per relevant standards, all KEC cables undergo stringent non-electrical and electrical tests. 

Insulation and sheathing in any cable are of vital importance. On this front, KEC has already incorporated new technological advancements such as Tandem Extrusion and Triple Layer Co-Extrusion, coupled with E-Beam cross-linking process. Insulation and sheathing quality from these processes have significantly contributed towards improving physical and electrical properties of cables. 

For multifold improvement in operational efficiency, an all-in-one metal-clad cable solution is also developed for connection between combiner box and inverter. Further, pre-connectorised cables have contributed towards faster installation and improved productivity. 

Standardising quality for cables for maximum shelf life 

Solar cables are designed to meet the continuity and reliability standards defined by the power sector. Cables are manufactured generally as per Indian as well as international specifications. KEC normally offers cable service life of 25 years for power cables, which is equivalent to a solar plant’s life, currently being envisaged in the market. All Solar cables used with XLPE insulation, armoured or unarmoured, are specially manufactured with UV stabilised outer sheathing compounds, which are specially formulated to sustain direct/ indirect sunlight. At KEC, we are constantly focusing on developing solutions to further improve the life and reliability of solar cables. 

Cables and solutions offered by KEC 

KEC manufactures cables for the complete solar power generating system, including LT, MV, and Control and Instrumentation cables. We also manufacture EHV cables of upto 220 kV for power evacuation. Specifically, we offer cables for DC supply (string to invertor), particularly in the 1.9/3.3 kV grade, which is used in 1,800 Volts DC supply. KEC isalso an enlisted vendor with leading public and private sector developers such as NTPC, NHPC, Adani and Renew Power.