Global composites manufacturer Exel Composites has released a new whitepaper aimed at updating the transmission and distribution industry on the role of advanced composite conductor core technology in modernizing ageing electrical grids. Drawing on multiple reference cases with conductor manufacturers and transmission system operators (TSOs), the whitepaper quantifies the benefits of high temperature, low sag (HTLS) conductors using carbon fiber cores.

According to Exel Composites, over 40% of Europe’s grids are more than 40 years old, while more than half of North America’s exceed 30 years. Reconductoring existing lines with composite cores represents a transformative opportunity to double transmission capacity without the delays, costs, and environmental hurdles associated with building new infrastructure.

“Replacing transmission line conductors with HTLS conductors, especially with composite cores, represents an immense opportunity to modernize the world’s electrical grids without the problems that face all countries,” explained Antti Hassinen, Senior Manager for Product Management at Exel Composites.

Heini Kloster, Product Manager for Conductor Cores, added: “We’re talking about doubling transmission capacity in a fraction of the time required to build entirely new lines, with much less red tape. This whitepaper sets out the most compelling case that I’ve seen for the role of advanced conductors with composite cores in vital upgrades to electrical infrastructure.”

In late 2024, Hassinen and members of IEC Technical Committee TC 7 published Technical Specification 62818-1, which establishes a unified testing and qualification framework for composite conductor cores. This framework allows TSOs to evaluate and compare commercially available solutions on an equal footing, fostering broader adoption of the technology.

“We stand on the precipice of enormous change,” Hassinen concluded. “TS 62818-1, developing technologies like multi-wire carbon fiber cores, the rise of data centers and electric vehicles, and the urgent need to integrate renewable energy sources all point towards major attention for composite conductor cores in the coming years.”

Source: exelcomposites.com