Hyosung Heavy Industries said on the 20th it has completed development of a spring-operated 362kV (kilovolt) gas circuit breaker (GCB) for export to the United States and passed certification testing under Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards.
A GCB is a key safety device that helps manage grid loads for stable operations and quickly interrupts current when an abnormality occurs to prevent blackouts or equipment damage.
The newly developed 362kV GCB is the first among domestic power equipment makers to apply a spring-operated mechanism. It operates with one-fifth the energy of conventional pneumatic mechanisms, significantly reducing noise and improving quality reliability. It was also designed to be transported as finished goods, cutting installation time by more than 80% compared with before.
Hyosung Heavy Industries secured more than 100 billion won in advance orders from U.S. customers from the product development stage. The company said it proactively reflected local customers' VOC regarding reduced operating noise and shorter installation times. Demand for this breaker, which is essential for U.S. substations, is expected to rise further.
With this development, the company aims to further accelerate its push in the local market through an "extra-high-voltage power equipment full package," including extra-high-voltage transformers and breakers already supplied to the U.S. market.
Hyosung Heavy Industries is continuing its push into the U.S. power market, including by signing a 787 billion won contract last month with a major U.S. transmission system operator to supply power equipment.