KEMA Labs High Voltage laboratories provide independent testing and certification services for medium voltage and high voltage components.

In short: KEMA Labs supports the validation of high-voltage electrical infrastructure components for modern energy systems, helping manufacturers and utilities verify performance, safety and compliance under demanding operating conditions.

  1. Testing Infrastructure and Capabilities

The growing need to transport energy over long distances is driving the development of components capable of operating at higher voltages.

KEMA Labs laboratories are designed to test:

  • Cables and cable accessories 
  • Insulators 
  • Power transformers 
  • Instrument transformers 
  • Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) 
  • Switchgear 
  • Electrical panels 
  • Other high-voltage components 

Key advantages:

  • Flexible test bays 
  • Ability to serve multiple clients simultaneously 

Which components can be tested in high voltage laboratories?
High voltage laboratories can test the main components used in medium and high voltage electrical infrastructure, including cables, cable accessories, insulators, power transformers, instrument transformers, Gas Insulated Switchgear, conventional switchgear and electrical panels. These components are exposed to controlled high-voltage conditions to verify insulation performance, electrical robustness and compliance with the applicable technical standards. This type of testing is particularly important for equipment intended for transmission and distribution networks, where reliability is essential and failures can have significant operational consequences. By testing a broad range of components, KEMA Labs supports both manufacturers during product validation and utilities during technical qualification processes.

  1. Engineering Expertise and Role

KEMA Labs is a renowned independent facility for high voltage testing and certification of electrical components.

Key objectives:

  • Ensure performance under high voltage conditions 
  • Validate safety and compliance with standards 

In short: advanced infrastructure and expertise ensure reliable validation of high-voltage components.

What is the purpose of high voltage testing?
The purpose of high voltage testing is to verify that electrical components can operate safely and reliably when exposed to high electrical stress. In real power systems, components must withstand continuous operating voltages as well as exceptional events such as overvoltages, switching operations and lightning impulses. High voltage testing reproduces these conditions in a controlled laboratory environment, allowing engineers to assess insulation strength, dielectric behavior and overall product safety. This process helps identify potential weaknesses before equipment is installed in the grid and provides manufacturers and utilities with independent evidence that the component meets the required performance and compliance criteria.

  1. Ratings and Test Capabilities

Dielectric testing is performed according to IEC 60060-1.

Available voltage levels:

  • AC testing
    → up to 1.2 MV 
  • Lightning Impulse (LI) testing
    → up to 3.5 MV 
  • Switching Impulse (SI) testing
    → up to 2.5 MV 
  • RIV / Corona testing
    → up to 600 kV AC 

In short: KEMA Labs provides high-voltage testing across multiple stress scenarios and voltage levels.

What is dielectric testing?


Dielectric testing verifies the ability of an electrical component’s insulation system to withstand high voltage stress without breakdown, excessive leakage or loss of performance. In medium and high voltage equipment, insulation is one of the most critical safety and reliability elements, because it separates energized parts from grounded structures and from other conductive elements. During dielectric testing, the component is exposed to defined voltage levels and waveforms to assess whether its insulation design meets the required standards. This helps confirm that the product can operate safely in real service conditions and reduces the risk of faults, failures or unsafe behavior once installed in the electrical network.

Why are impulse tests important?


A: Impulse tests are important because they simulate fast and severe overvoltage events that can occur in real electrical systems, such as lightning strikes or switching surges. These events produce short-duration voltage peaks that may strongly stress the insulation system of cables, transformers, switchgear and other high-voltage components. By reproducing lightning impulse and switching impulse conditions in the laboratory, engineers can evaluate how the equipment responds to transient electrical stress and confirm whether it maintains its insulation integrity. This is essential for validating components intended for critical transmission and distribution networks, where resistance to transient overvoltages directly affects safety, reliability and service continuity.

  1. Laboratory Locations

KEMA Labs High Voltage Testing Laboratories are located in:

In short: global presence enables access to high-voltage testing services worldwide.