Optical Ground Wire
Optical Ground Wire solutions combining overhead line grounding and fiber optic communication for power transmission, grid expansion and utility infrastructure projects.
Project Requirements
Tell Us About Your Transmission Line Project
OPGW selection depends on the transmission line design, mechanical loading, fault current, fiber requirements and installation conditions. Provide your basic project requirements and our technical team can help evaluate a suitable OPGW configuration.
Line Voltage
- 66kV · 110kV · 132kV · 220kV · 330kV · 500kV+
Fiber Count
- 12 · 24 · 36 · 48 · 72 · 96+
Span Length
- Typical / Long Span / Special Crossing
Short-Circuit Current
- Required fault current withstand
Installation Environment
- Normal · Coastal · High Wind · High Pollution
Project Length
- km of OPGW required
OPGW for Overhead Transmission Lines
OPGW for Power Transmission & Grid Communication
OPGW integrates the functions of an overhead ground wire and an optical fiber communication cable. Installed at the top of overhead transmission lines, it provides a grounding and shielding path while supporting high-capacity communication for power system monitoring, protection and grid communication. IEEE 1138-2021 specifically addresses OPGW performance and testing for electric utility power lines.
Line Grounding & Shielding
Provides a grounding path and helps protect transmission lines against lightning-related electrical events.
Fiber Optic Communication
Supports communication for protection, control, monitoring and utility data transmission.
Infrastructure Integration
Combines grounding and communication functions in one overhead line component, avoiding the need for a separate communication cable on the same route.
OPGW Solutions by Project Application
New Transmission Lines
For new overhead transmission line construction and grid expansion. Typical Requirements: OPGW · Ground Wire · Fiber Communication · Fittings
Transmission Line Upgrades
For replacing conventional ground wires with OPGW while improving communication capability. Existing Tower Compatibility · Sag · Mechanical Load · Hardware
Grid Interconnection
For connecting substations, generation facilities and regional transmission networks.
Smart Grid Communication
For fiber-based communication supporting: Protection SCADA Monitoring Control Data Transmission
Renewable Energy Transmission
Wind Power Solar Power Hydropower Renewable power plant → Substation → Transmission Grid
Long-Span / Special Crossing
River Crossings Mountainous Areas Large Spans High Wind Areas Sag · Tension · Breaking Load · Tower Loading
OPGW Cable Types & Constructions
Aluminum Tube Layer Warping Core OPGW
- Good corrosion resistance
- The non-metallic tube is placed in an aluminum tube. Uniform material structure and good vibration fatigue resistance
- Fiber optic cables are separated from the metallic monofilament when entering the splice box. The end is easier to handle, especially when the fiber is fused.
- Internal non-metallic tubing reduces the risk of damaging fiber optic connections when moving compared to metallic tube edges
Aluminum Tube Center Tube Type OPGW
- Good corrosion resistance
- Uniform distribution of material structure, good anti-vibration fatigue performance
- Short-circuit current has little effect on optical fiber transmission performance
- The cable core is smaller than the aluminum tube type stranded cable core type OPGW, allowing for a smaller structure.
Aluminum Clad Steel Tube Structure OPGW
- Aluminum-clad stainless steel tubes are designed to increase the cross-section of the aluminum for better short-circuit current and lightning strike resistance characteristics.
- High corrosion resistance for corrosive environments, eliminating the need for separate anti-corrosive cable paste.
- Suitable for lines with small cable diameter and large short-circuit current capacity.
- This design can better enable the internal optical fiber to withstand lateral pressure and mechanical protection from the external environment.
Rust Steel Tube Structure OPGW - Layer Stranded
- The larger the diameter of the fiber optic cable, the greater the number of fiber cores.
- Higher tensile strength and short-circuit current capacity, more balanced mechanical and electrical properties.
- The number of lighting units can be 1 to 3.
- Obtaining the right secondary overgrowth through optimal twist design.
- 2 to 3 layers of outer monofilament, all-aluminum clad steel wire, mixed strands of aluminum clad steel wire and aluminum alloy wire are available.
Stainless Steel Tube Structure OPGW - Center Type
- Small cable diameter, light weight and low short-circuit current capacity.
- Higher tensile strength and short-circuit current capacity, more balanced mechanical and electrical properties.
- Slightly poorer resistance to tensile, torsional and lateral pressure.
- Suitable for the renovation of old lines, the fiber has good strain characteristics under high tension.
OPGW Optical Cable Application
ZMS OPGW cable in the transmission line can adopt an aluminum tube type, aluminum frame type, and (stainless) steel tube type structure respectively according to user needs. The optical fiber is sheathed in a tube made of stainless steel, the tube is surrounded by aluminum-clad steel wire (AS wire), and the outer layer is wrapped with aluminum alloy wire (AA wire) and twisted into a cable. We customize 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 cores of OPGW optical fiber cable. Meanwhile, the price of our OPGW fiber optic cable is competitive.
• OPGW transmission lines are mainly used on 110KV, 220KV, and 550KV voltage level lines, and are mostly used in newly-built lines due to factors such as line power outages and safety.
• Lines with high voltage exceeding 110kv have a larger range (generally above 250M).
• Easy to maintain, easy to solve the problem of line crossing, and its mechanical characteristics can meet the line of large crossing; The outer layer of OPGW is metal armor, which does not affect high-voltage electric corrosion and degradation.
• OPGW conductors must be powered off during construction, and the power loss is relatively large, so OPGW should be used in newly built high-voltage lines above 110kv.
OPGW Standards & Testing
Short-Circuit Current
Flash Arc Test
IEEE 1138-2021
OPGW for electric utility power lines, including mechanical, electrical, optical, environmental, and testing requirements.
IEEE 1591.1
OPGW hardware performance and testing.
IEC 60794 Series
IEC 60793 Series
ITU-T Fiber Standards
Cooperation Project Cases
| OPGW Types | Project | Quantities |
| OPGW | Jiangsu Province Dongtal power third term | 90 kilometer |
| OPGW-2S-1/24B1-90 | Zhaojiashan and Changfangshan Wind&Power Site | 70 kilometer |
| OPGW-14.6-120-3-24B OPGW-14.6-120-3-12B | Ningxia Huashishan 110KV transmission line | 50 kilometer |
| OPGW-16B-50 | Xinjang shuqin county jinyang wanhua wood industry 35V transmission line | 150 kilometers |
| OPGW-24B1-90 | Puer Kungang Jiahua cement plant supply power project | 15 kilometer |
OPGW Engineering & Project Support
OPGW selection is closely related to the transmission line’s mechanical loading, electrical requirements, optical communication system and tower configuration. Our technical team can support project-based specification review and cable configuration according to available line data.
Why Choose ZMS OPGW?
OPGW Specification Review: Review voltage, fault current, span and fiber requirements.
Mechanical Design: Evaluate tensile strength, sag, tension and tower loading.
Optical Configuration: Select fiber type, fiber count and optical performance.
Hardware Matching: Select suitable suspension, tension, grounding and vibration-control hardware.
Project Documentation: Datasheets · Technical Specifications · Test Reports · Certificates
Related OPGW Fiber Cable Accessories
ZMS also produces various types of fiber optic cable accessories, OPGW splice boxes, and so on. The iron or aluminum metal accessories widely used in optical cable products are collectively referred to as fittings. There are many types of fittings with different uses. Most of the fittings need to withstand greater tension during operation, and some must also ensure good electrical contact at the same time. It is related to the safety of the wire or the tower. Even if one is damaged, it may cause a line failure. Therefore, the quality, correct use, and installation of fittings have a certain impact on the safe power transmission of the line.
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