EHV underground · Georgia
We buy 230 kV cable and accessory packages
A 230 kV cable is bought for a route, not for a warehouse. That is why a 230 kV lot arrives with a joint list, a bonding drawing and factory test records, and why the accessories often matter more than the reels.
- Project material
- Sheath bonding
- Factory lengths
01Overview
What this page covers
Underground 230 kV transmission is built as a project. The cable is ordered in factory lengths that match the distance between joint bays, the joints are placed in manholes or vaults, and the sheath bonding is designed with the route so that circulating current stays within limits. Nothing about it is stock material.
When such a project is canceled, rerouted or rebuilt, the material that comes back is a set: reels with serial numbers, premolded joints, terminations at both ends, link boxes and voltage limiters. Reviewing one reel on its own tells a buyer very little about the lot.
02Specification
What a 230 kV package looks like
- Voltage class
- 230 kV, 100% insulation level
- Insulation
- XLPE, nominal wall about 0.9 in., bonded semicon screens
- Conductor
- 2,000 kcmil to 3,500 kcmil, segmental or compact, copper or aluminum
- Sheath
- Welded corrugated aluminum or lead, with an extruded HDPE jacket
- Reels
- 96 in. to 120 in.; factory lengths commonly 1,000 to 2,500 ft
- Joints
- Premolded one-piece joints, or factory-assembled; installed in a controlled area
- Bonding
- Cross-bonded or single-point, with link boxes and sheath voltage limiters
- Condition
- Canceled project, surplus, service-aged, sheath fault, wet
A 120 in. reel of 230 kV cable is an oversize load. Confirm drum diameter and weight before quoting transport, because the trailer and the permits are part of the job.
03Cable and accessories we buy
Cable and accessories we buy
XLPE cable with welded aluminum sheath
The modern build for long underground runs. A smooth or corrugated aluminum sheath welded over the insulation screen gives a moisture barrier and a fault current path, and it is stiff enough that the cable has a real minimum bend radius.
Segmental and compact conductors
Large conductors are built to be pulled and bent, so the stranding pattern matters. Segmental conductor carries more copper for the same diameter; compact stranded is easier to terminate. Both are reviewed on the condition of the outer strands.
Premolded and factory joints
One-piece joints that slide over the prepared cable end and are assembled in a clean, controlled environment. They are the most valuable single items in a 230 kV lot and the most easily ruined by storage in an unconditioned shed.
Terminations and bonding hardware
Outdoor composite terminations, SF6 terminations at a GIS end, link boxes, sheath voltage limiters and grounding kits. Reviewed on completeness, because a bonding scheme without its limiters is not a scheme.
04Evaluation
How a 230 kV lot is reviewed
The package is reviewed as a system. Reel serial numbers, factory length, the joint list and the bonding drawing together describe an installation. Where all four exist, the lot can be described accurately to a buyer who might re-use it on another route. Where they do not, the cable is assessed on footage and test records alone.
Factory test records come next. Routine tests at the works establish that the insulation and the sheath were sound when the cable was wound. A sheath fault found in the yard is repairable in principle, but it removes the length from any application where the owner needs a tested article.
Then the physical condition, at the drum and at the ends. Sealed ends, an intact jacket, no flattening where the cable crossed a roller, and a drum that has been stored on its flange rather than its barrel. A 230 kV reel left standing on the ground for two years has a different review from one in a rack.
Two hazards dominate at this class, and neither is the obvious one. The first is stored charge: a length of 230 kV cable is a capacitor and must be discharged and grounded before an end is touched. The second is the sheath. On a cross-bonded system an isolated sheath section can rise to a dangerous potential from induction alone, so sheath continuity and grounding are established before anything is disconnected.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
06Related
Related material
07Questions
230 kV cable questions
Can 230 kV cable from a canceled project be re-used?
In principle, if the reels are intact, the ends are sealed and the test records are available. In practice the route geometry usually decides, because factory lengths have to match the joint spacing.
Do you buy the joints separately from the cable?
Yes. Premolded joints are reviewed on part number, cable size and storage condition, and they can be worth more than the reel they were ordered with.
What is the minimum bend radius concern?
Large 230 kV cable takes a set and damages internally if bent tighter than its rating. A reel that was dropped or a coil that was forced around a corner is a problem that a visual check will not always find.
How is footage established on a 120 in. reel?
From the factory tag, from the length marking on the jacket, or from the wrap count and barrel diameter. On cable this size the tag is normally present.
Send the reel serials and the joint list
Serial numbers, factory lengths, test records and joint part numbers describe a 230 kV package properly. Weights and drum diameters set the transport.