An international team of experts in the field of transmission has received European funding to produce, install and test three 2x400 kV Composite Pylons in full scale. The project is carried out in cooperation between five, established, European partners, with unique qualifications and years of experience. The team consists of Bystrup, Valmont SM, Reinhausen Power Composites, Nexans, and Dervaux.
Across the globe, major grid expansions and modernizations are needed to accommodate the switch to renewables. However, the lack of public acceptance is a major obstacle toward this progress and operators are under pressure to find solutions that can minimize the visual -, environmental -, and societal impact of new grid infrastructure.
The objective of the European Composite Pylon project (ECP) is to deliver a radically new solution that is at the same time compact, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing, for the Overhead Transmission Lines (OHTLs) market. The ECP project will answer to the challenges by being both technically superior, cost-effective and more visually appealing to the general public.
Special features pylon:
- Compact design - half the size of a conventional lattice tower
- Improved aesthetics - enabling advanced geometries not possible with steel
- Capable of carrying 2x400 kV
- On-site assembly, erected in a single day
- Cost competitive considering the material, reduced maintenance and installation time required
- Reduced corona noise and electrical field
Special features crossarms::
- Integration of functions: bearing of the conductor loads and electrical insulation
- Conductors are directly attached to the crossarms, no long-rod insulators needed
- Made from standard materials for composite insulators (glass fibers, polymers, silicone)
- Optimized design for high static and dynamic loads
- Long life time, less maintenance required
Currently we are working on further innovative products which will be introduced very soon.