The six power lines at a glance
Power cable is the part of a project bill of quantities where a wrong construction costs the most: it is heavy, it is copper or aluminium priced, it is pulled once and it is expected to stay in service for decades. The desk groups the family into six lines, each with a reference construction taken from a partner plant catalogue, so that a buyer can compare like with like before asking for a quote.
| Line | Reference model | Main standard | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| LV XLPE power cable | 0.6/1 kV Cu/XLPE/PVC 4x25 mm2 | IEC 60502-1 | Feeders and sub-mains in buildings and plants |
| MV power cable | 8.7/15 kV Cu/XLPE/CTS/PVC 3x95 mm2 | IEC 60502-2 | Distribution networks, ring main units, plant substations |
| Armoured cable | 0.6/1 kV Cu/XLPE/STA/PVC 4x35 mm2 | IEC 60502-1, BS 5467, BS 6724 | Direct burial, trenches, industrial routes |
| Aluminium power cable | 0.6/1 kV Al/XLPE/PVC 4x95 mm2 | IEC 60502-1, IEC 60228 | Large feeders where weight and cost matter |
| Fire-resistant cable | 0.6/1 kV Cu/Mica/XLPE/LSZH 4x25 mm2 | IEC 60331, BS 6387, BS 8519 | Life safety circuits, tunnels, hospitals |
| Solar PV cable | H1Z2Z2-K 1x4 mm2, DC 1.5 kV | EN 50618, IEC 62930 | DC strings on solar farms and rooftops |
Each line page shows the cross-section of its reference model, the layer table with what can and cannot be customised, the category range and the typical packing. Figures there are catalogue values for the reference model, not measurements of your order.
LV or MV: start from the system voltage
Low voltage cable rated 0.6/1 kV covers almost everything after the transformer: main boards, sub-mains, motors, pumps and inverter AC outputs. Medium voltage cable covers the network before it, from 3.6/6 kV up to 18/30 kV in IEC 60502-2. The jump is not only thicker insulation. MV cable adds semiconductive screens on both sides of the XLPE and a metallic screen, and every drum should carry a partial discharge record. That is why MV orders need more lead time and a plant with the right test bay. The partner plant catalogue behind our reference stops at 8.7/15 kV; higher ratings are matched to other plants case by case. The LV vs MV comparison goes through the differences layer by layer.
Copper or aluminium
Copper and aluminium together make up around 80% of a cable's cost according to listed company filings, so the conductor choice drives the quote. Copper gives the smallest diameter for a given resistance and suits small sizes, flexible cable and terminations in tight boards. Aluminium is lighter and usually cheaper per circuit for large feeders, but it needs a bigger cross-section for the same resistance: under IEC 60228 Class 2, 95 mm2 aluminium allows 0.320 ohm/km, close to 50 mm2 copper at 0.387 ohm/km. Small aluminium sizes are not offered in the catalogue range, and multicore aluminium starts at 10 mm2. Size either metal with your engineer under IEC 60364-5-52, BS 7671 or NEC as applicable; we do not publish current ratings.
When to add armour
Armour protects against mechanical damage, not against pulling loads. Steel tape armour (STA) is covered by the partner catalogue and is allowed in IEC 60502-1. Steel wire armour (SWA) is the usual UK and Middle East specification under BS 5467 with a PVC sheath or BS 6724 with an LSZH sheath, and single-core AC circuits need aluminium wire armour (AWA) to avoid eddy current heating. SWA and AWA are matched to plants that run those lines. If the route is a dry tray inside a building, armour often adds weight and cost without benefit; if the cable is buried or exposed to plant traffic, it is usually required. See armour and screens.
Fire performance: two different questions
Buyers often mix up two properties. Reaction to fire asks how much a cable spreads flame, smoke and acid gas when it burns: tested to IEC 60332-1-2 and 60332-3, IEC 61034 and IEC 60754, and in the EU declared as a CPR class on the DoP under EN 50575. Fire resistance asks whether a circuit keeps working during a fire: circuit integrity to IEC 60331, BS 6387 CWZ or BS 8519 per test report. A low smoke zero halogen sheath helps the first; a mica tape barrier is what delivers the second. A CPR class says nothing about circuit integrity. The fire performance classes page sets the two side by side.
Solar PV cable is its own product
DC string cable is not ordinary building wire. EN 50618 and IEC 62930 cover the H1Z2Z2-K type: tinned flexible copper, halogen-free cross-linked insulation and sheath, rated DC 1.5 kV, with UV and weather resistance per test report. US projects use PV Wire to UL 4703 instead. The older PV1-F designation has been replaced by H1Z2Z2-K, so ask for the current type in tenders.
Where the desk sources the family
Power and special cables come mainly from three clusters. Yixing in Jiangsu reported wire and cable output above 100 billion yuan at the end of 2020, and the Guanlin cable sector more than 120 billion yuan with over 10% of the domestic market (Xinhua Daily, 2025). Ningjin in Hebei reported 2,393 cluster companies and 68.89 billion yuan of revenue in 2024 (Hebei industry department, 2025-06) and is known for low and medium voltage and new energy cable. Wuwei in Anhui focuses on special cable. The desk shortlists plants by construction and standard, not by cluster alone; see industry clusters. Typical MOQs and how lead times are set are on MOQ and lead time, and the quote form takes a BOQ in any format.