The First Ultra High Voltage Photoelectric Composite Submarine Cable

The ultra-high voltage optoelectronic composite submarine cable delivered by Yichang Qifan this time has a single length of 28.5 kilometers and a weight of nearly 4000 tons. At the delivery site, the ultra-high voltage submarine cables are loaded onto the ship at a speed of about 4 meters per minute through a dedicated transportation channel via cable storage trays. After all loads are completed, they are transported to the coastal area via a dedicated laying vessel via the Yangtze River. Zhou Guihua, Chairman of Shanghai Qifan Cable Co., Ltd., said that this is Qifan’s first 220 kV ultra-high voltage optoelectronic composite submarine cable, marking a significant breakthrough in the field of offshore wind power projects and further consolidating its market position in the wire and cable industry.

Compared to ordinary medium and low voltage cable technology, the production standards for submarine cables are strict. A 30 kilometer submarine cable core requires continuous production, and no faults are allowed to occur in the middle to ensure product quality. Due to high standards, high thresholds, and high risks, submarine cables are known as the “jewel in the crown” of cable manufacturing. There are less than 10 submarine cable enterprises nationwide, all located along the coast.

The production technology requirements for ultra-high voltage optoelectronic composite submarine cables are even more complex. According to Lu Xiaoyang, the head of the technical department of Yichang Qifan Cable Co., Ltd., the 26 mm insulation thickness required for ultra-high voltage submarine cable production has reached the equipment limit. There are only a few domestic manufacturers with 220 kV submarine cables, and being able to enter this echelon indicates a significant improvement in submarine cable production technology.

Qifan Cable, a listed company on the main board, is a Fortune 500 enterprise in China’s manufacturing industry. In October 2020, Yichang Qifan Cable settled in Xiaoting and quickly launched its submarine cable production and research and development department. It quickly conquered a series of key technologies in the production of submarine cables and successfully piloted the first submarine cable. In March 2021, the first batch of submarine cable orders were officially delivered; In September 2021, the second new ultra-high voltage submarine cable production line was put into operation. In 2022, the output value doubled year-on-year, reaching 3.78 billion yuan, and is expected to achieve 6 billion yuan this year.

On September 1st, the Xiaoting District Government signed a contract with Shanghai Qifan Cable Co., Ltd., and the second headquarters of Qifan Cable officially settled in Yichang. This additional investment will involve the construction, renovation, and expansion of factories, production lines, research and development bases, and supporting facilities, with a focus on producing high-end high-voltage power cables and submarine cables. In the future, both parties will work together to create an important high-end cable production base and a first-class submarine cable production base in China, striving to achieve a production value of 10 billion yuan by 2025.