Nexans supplies 400-kV cables and accessories for Germany's largest and most modern pumped storage power station

Pumped storage power stations enable a cost-efficient operation of networks by providing electrical backup energy in times of peak load demand, by improving network control, by providing short time backup power in the case of tripping of large power station blocks and by reducing transmission losses in the network by phase shift operation.

To meet peak load demand, water from a 12 million cubic meter storing basin rushes about 300 m downstream  before passing through four turbines. In times of low demand,  the water is pumped back to the upper storage lake to be prepared again for the energy demand of the next peak load period.

Nexans has delivered four cable circuits with a length of 400 m each. The order scope also included the delivery of accessories as well as the complete engineering and installation work. The used cables are longitudinally and radially water tight and have a PE oversheath with a laminated aluminium foil below.

On October 22, 2002, the last two cable circuits were successfully tested with 450kV a.c. voltage and handed over to the customer.

Following the completion of the Bewag project in 2000, this is the second major 400 kV VPE cable project successfully commissioned in Germany by Nexans.