Low voltage overhead lines assist in the renovation of urban distribution networks in Senegal, West Africa

Senegal has a complex climate and environment, with high temperatures and frequent thunderstorms during the rainy season. Coastal areas suffer from salt spray corrosion, while inland grasslands are ravaged by sandstorms. At the same time, rural streets are narrow and vegetation grows vigorously. The bare wire overhead lines widely used in the early days were prone to short circuits and power outages caused by tree branches touching them, and the phenomenon of wire theft was prominent, with obvious shortcomings in power supply stability. Taking into account the operational pain points of the local power grid, new renovation projects will gradually promote the ABC bundled overhead insulated cable, paired with a standardized low-voltage overhead tower system.

The on-site technical leader introduced that compared to the direct burial of cables, low-voltage overhead lines do not require large-scale excavation of trenches, and have lower transportation and laying thresholds, which is very suitable for the limited road conditions and insufficient construction resources in rural West Africa. After adopting UV resistant XLPE insulated ABC cables, the insulation performance between lines has been greatly improved, effectively reducing the risk of faults caused by wind, rain, and vegetation; The compact bundle structure reduces the length of the line corridor, allowing for smooth installation in shantytowns and narrow streets. In response to the high temperature conditions in the local area, the wire cross-section should be appropriately enlarged during the engineering design phase, and the voltage drop should be fully verified to ensure the quality of power supply at the end of long-distance rural transmission lines; Thickened hot-dip galvanized anti-corrosion fittings are uniformly selected in coastal areas to enhance the salt spray corrosion resistance of the lines.

Low voltage overhead power lines rely on low cost, easy construction, and easy field extension, making them an irreplaceable solution for popularizing power access in West Africa; The industry trend is clear: the existing bare wires are gradually being transformed, and new projects are fully promoting ABC bundled overhead insulated cables. The core difficulty in design and supply lies in adapting to tropical high temperatures, lightning, salt spray/sand and dust corrosion, while also dealing with poor on-site construction and operation conditions.