Onsite Commissioning Test of (Ultra) High Voltage Cables

Floris Schulze, Director of consulting activities for KEMA Labs, has published a new article, “Onsite Commissioning Test of (Ultra) High Voltage Cables,” on the online platforms of Energie & Management and De Ingenieur.

Energie & Management is a leading German magazine providing insights for the energy sector, while De Ingenieur is a prominent Dutch publication covering engineering and technological innovation.

Schulze emphasizes the importance of rigorous onsite commissioning to ensure the reliability of high- and ultra-high-voltage cables, preventing costly outages and safety risks. IEC-mandated tests with mobile high-voltage systems and partial discharge measurements detect defects in installations, which occur in roughly 20% of cases.

KEMA Labs recently completed the testing of a new submarine cable installation in Iceland under challenging conditions. Hengtong praised the team, stating: “Your team demonstrated outstanding professionalism, technical competence, and dedication throughout the entire process. Their resilience—especially during the rapid transition between sites and work carried out in rain—was exemplary and greatly appreciated.” Special recognition was given to Krzysztof Kucharczyk, Marc Hagenow, and Ahmed Diallo, whose contributions “have strengthened our confidence in KEMA as a trusted and highly capable partner.”

Schulze notes that similar high-voltage and Corona discharge tests in European grid-integration projects have been critical for safely energizing essential transmission assets. These examples underscore that rigorous commissioning is vital for reliability, safety, and efficiency in today’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.