JPS Starts to Supply Recycled XLPE Cables to TEPCO

J-power Systems Corporation (JPS), Japanese joint venture between Sumitomo Electric Industries and Hitachi Cable to produce high voltage power cables, announced on Thursday the firm started to supply recycled XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) power distribution cables to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The recycled cables are used in TEPCO’s 6.6-kilovolt overhead power distribution networks. JPS succeeded in recycling of used XLPE into cable sheathes. Recycled cables represent the same performances as new cables in stringing, connecting and appearances.

Major materials for cable sheathes are XLPE, polyethylene and vinyl chloride. Most of used XLPE, generated from XLPE cable scraps, is used as fuels or landfilled since XLPE is difficult to be re-melted and recycled. XLPE represents high heat resistance because polyethylene molecules are cross-linked by chemical processing.

JPS unlinks XLPE molecules in a mixing machine at high temperature and mixes the unlinked XLPE with other materials to recycle as cable sheathes. JPS started to supply recycled XLPE cables to TEPCO in February 2008 and is appealing the products to other Japanese power companies. JPS also plans to adopt the recycling technology to the other type cables.