Borouge and Borealis keep power running in China’s Zhengzhou City

Borouge, the joint venture between Borealis, a pre-eminent European plastics provider, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), is helping the Zhengzhou Electric Bureau keep a smooth uninterrupted power supply to Zhengzhou City in Henan Province, China, by supplying Superclean™ LE4201 insulation and Supersmooth™ LE0500 semiconductive cable materials from Borealis.

Zhengzhou City is the capital of Henan Province with a population of 5.6 million. As a key industrial base and railway intersection within China, the need for a well performing electricity network is vital. An eight kilometre High Voltage (HV) power cable transmitting electricity from the power grid to the city was put into operation in early 2005 and has been proven reliable in the supply of electricity.

Chinese cable producer Prysmian Baosheng, responsible for the production and installation of the cable, recommended Borealis crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation and semiconductive materials to local utility, Zhengzhou Electric Bureau, because of the consistent, long-term high performance delivered by HV cables using a combination of Superclean and Supersmooth materials.

Mr Chen Guo Ping, Logistics Manager, Prysmian Baosheng, comments on their choice of materials: “Long-term, reliable performance was the key priority for the Zhengzhou Electric Bureau when selecting a new power network for the City. We have worked with Borouge on projects around the world and we were confident that the combination of our close cooperation and the high quality cabling that can be achieved with Superclean LE4201 and Supersmooth LE0500 from Borealis would deliver the best result for our customer. The cable has been in operation for over a year and Zhengzhou is pleased with its performance.”

Cable insulation cleanliness is a recognised contributor to the reliability and longevity of power cables. The risk of critical failures to power supply is reduced greatly when contamination levels in the insulation are low. Borealis’ Superclean PE insulation compounds are manufactured using highly-developed procedures to ensure contamination is kept to a minimum and the required cleanliness is delivered.

The potential for reliable performance is improved further when used in combination with Supersmooth for the semiconductive layers in XLPE power cables. The smooth surface offered by extruded Supersmooth semiconductive materials creates an even interface between the insulation and semiconductive layers within a power cable. The lack of surface irregularity reduces the risk of abnormal electrical stress on the cable, thereby lowering the risk of breakdowns in the power circuit and keeping the power supply flowing.

Borealis has more than 40 years of experience in providing high-quality polyolefin compounds to the Wire & Cable market and is the world leader in this market segment.