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Product

fiber optic cable seriesIEEE 1138 / IEC 60794-4-10FIMT Stainless Tube28–215 kA²·s Fault Rating

OPGW Optical Ground WireStainless-steel FIMT & ACS/AAW overhead transmission optical shield wire

OPGW Optical Ground Wire engineered per IEEE 1138 and IEC 60794-4-10 with hermetically laser-welded 316L stainless steel optical tube(s) and concentric Aluminum-Clad Steel (ACS) and Aluminum Alloy (AAW) armouring for 110–1000 kV.

110–1000 kV Tower Shield

ACS + AAW Armour

+200 °C Short-Circuit

Hermetic Laser-Welded FIMT

OPGW cross-section

Order designation: OPGW-48B1-120
Outer Ø: 14.8 mm
Weight ≈: 660 kg/km
Breaking load (RTS): 118 kN
Fault I²t capacity: 128 kA²·s

All sizes (7)

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Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum

Fibre count: 12 to 96 fibres
Rated RTS: 62 to 158 kN
Fault capacity: 28–215 kA²·s
DC resistance: 0.18 to 0.88 Ω/k
Optical unit: 304 / 316L FIMT
Temperature: -40 to +85 °C

Typical values for this cable type, based on IEEE 1138 / IEC 60794-4-10 / IEC 61232 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is OPGW right for your machine?

Installed at the peak of high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage transmission towers to combine lightning protection, ground-fault return current, and utility grid telecommunications.

Free-hanging vertical run

Suitable

Replaces conventional galvanized steel or ACSR earth wire across long overhead transmission spans.

Fixed installation

Suitable

Routed down tower legs to splice closures at the tower base or substation gantry.

Immersion & wet locations

Not suitable

Designed for overhead transmission towers; for underwater crossings specify subsea FIMT cable.

Use Subsea FIMT Cable

Motorised monospiral reel

Not suitable

Rigid metallic strand conductor for fixed overhead catenary stringing only.

Use Rubber Crane FO Cable

Typical machines110 kV to 1000 kV Transmission GridsHVDC & Ultra-High-Voltage CorridorsSubstation Gantry Earth-Wire LinksHydro & Renewable Grid InterconnectorsLong-Span River & Mountain Crossings

Construction

Layer by layer

Concentric OPGW Optical Ground Wire showing central (or inner-layer) laser-welded stainless steel FIMT optical unit filled with hydrogen-absorbing gel, surrounded by Aluminum-Clad Steel (ACS) and Aluminum Alloy (AAW) wires.

Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data

#	Layer	Material & reference
1	Single-mode optical fibres	12 to 96 ITU-T G.652.D or G.655 single-mode optical fibres with high-temperature colour coding≤ 0.35 dB/km @ 1310 nm · ≤ 0.21 dB/km @ 1550 nm
2	Thixotropic hydrogen-scavenging gel	High-drop-point synthetic gel filling the FIMT optical tubeCushions fibres during aeolian vibration and +200 °C fault pulses
3	Laser-welded stainless steel tube (FIMT)	Seamlessly laser-welded 304L or 316L stainless steel tube (or aluminum-clad stainless tube)Hermetic moisture & hydrogen barrier with high radial crush strength
4	Inner Aluminum-Clad Steel (ACS) layer	Helically stranded 20SA / 27SA / 30SA / 40SA Aluminum-Clad Steel wires (IEC 61232)Provides primary tensile breaking strength (RTS 62–158 kN)
5	Outer ACS / Aluminum Alloy (AAW) layer	Contra-helically stranded 6201-T81 Aluminum Alloy Wires (IEC 60104) and/or ACS wiresConducts lightning strikes and short-circuit fault current (up to 215 kA²·s)

Central-FIMT Single-Layer (OPGW-50 to 90)

Central stainless-steel FIMT optical unit surrounded by a single layer of ACS/AAW wires for 110–220 kV lines

Multi-FIMT Double-Layer (OPGW-100 to 185)

1 to 3 stainless-steel FIMT tubes in the inner layer of a dual-layer ACS + AAW strand for 220–1000 kV lines and high fault currents

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on IEEE 1138 / IEC 60794-4-10 / IEC 61232. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Short-circuit capacity (I²t): 28 to 215 kA²·s (0.3 s, +40 °C to +200 °C)
DC resistance @ 20 °C: 0.185 to 0.880 Ω/km (cross-section dependent)
Lightning arc resistance: Class 1–3 coulomb charge transfer per IEC 60794-4-10

Thermal

Continuous operating temp.: -40 °C to +85 °C
Short-circuit peak temp.: Up to +200 °C (structural) / +180 °C (FIMT core)
Coeff. of linear expansion: 13.0 to 16.8 × 10⁻⁶ /K

Mechanical

Rated Tensile Strength (RTS): 62 kN to 158 kN
Modulus of elasticity: 110 to 162 GPa
Everyday Stress (EDS): 18 % to 25 % of RTS
Crush resistance: ≥ 10,000 N / 100 mm
Min. bend radius: 20 × OD (static) · 30 × OD (stringing sheave)

Optical

Optical fibre types: ITU-T G.652.D · G.655 · G.654.E ultra-low-loss
Attenuation @ 1310 / 1550 nm: ≤ 0.35 dB/km / ≤ 0.21 dB/km
Excess fibre length (EFL): 0.20 % to 0.35 % inside laser-welded FIMT
Strain margin: Zero fibre strain up to ≥ 60 % RTS

Resistance

Hermeticity & moisture: 100 % eddy-current tested laser-welded 316L tube
Corrosion resistance: 20SA–40SA ACS & 6201 AAW salt-spray tested
Aeolian vibration: 10⁸ cycles at 20 % RTS without wire or fibre break
Sheave & galloping fatigue: IEEE 1138 Clause 5.2.3 & 5.2.5 compliant

Reference standards

OPGW construction & test: IEEE Std 1138 & IEC 60794-4-10
Wire material standards: IEC 61232 (ACS) · IEC 60104 (AAW) ·IEC 60889
RoHS & REACH: 2011/65/EU & EC 1907/2006 compliant

Identification

Outer appearance: Metallic bare Aluminum-Clad Steel / Alloy strand
Fibre & tube identification: TIA-598-D 12-colour fibres + ring-marked FIMT
Lay direction: Right-hand (Z) or Left-hand (S) outer lay per grid spec
Customs tariff (HS): 8544.7000

Sizes

7 standard OPGW cross-sections (50 mm² to 185 mm², 24 to 96 fibres)

Mechanical, electrical and short-circuit fault-current ratings for OPGW Optical Ground Wire per IEEE 1138 and IEC 60794-4-10.

Dimensions, RTS & fault capacity
Order designation	Area & fibres	Outer Ø mm	Weight ≈ kg/km	RTS kN	DC R @ 20 °C Ω/km	Fault I²t kA²·s
Single-Layer Central FIMT (50–90 mm²)
OPGW-24B1-50	50 mm² · 24F G.652.D	9.4	320	62	0.875	28
OPGW-24B1-70	70 mm² · 24F G.652.D	11.2	445	86	0.612	52
OPGW-24B1-90	90 mm² · 24F G.652.D	12.6	530	98	0.455	78
Double-Layer High Fault Capacity (100–185 mm²)
OPGW-48B1-100	100 mm² · 48F G.652.D	13.5	585	108	0.382	95
OPGW-48B1-120	120 mm² · 48F G.652.D	14.8	660	118	0.305	128
OPGW-48B1-150	150 mm² · 48F G.652.D	16.4	780	135	0.238	165
OPGW-96B1-185	185 mm² · 96F G.652.D	18.2	940	158	0.185	215

Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
Short-circuit capacity I²t calculated for 0.3 s fault duration from +40 °C initial to +200 °C final temperature per IEEE 1138.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

ConductorClass 5 stranding
Spark test100 % in-line
Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
DimensionsOD, wall thickness
Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch

Testing & inspection	Test value / reference	Frequency
Routine tests
100 % eddy-current FIMT weld integrity & OTDR test	Zero pinhole defects on stainless steel tube and ≤ 0.35 / 0.21 dB/km fibre attenuation	Every manufactured drum length
Sample tests
Short-circuit current pulse test	3 pulses at rated I²t (+200 °C peak) with Δα ≤ 0.05 dB/km	Type qualification
Simulated lightning arc test	Withstands specified coulomb charge transfer with residual strength ≥ 80 % RTS	Type qualification
Stress-strain, creep & aeolian vibration test	10⁸ vibration cycles at EDS and tensile loading to RTS per IEEE 1138	Type qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

IEEE Std 1138 & IEC 60794-4-10IEC 61232 (ACS) & IEC 60104 (AAW)RoHS 2 (2011/65/EU) & REACH

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

Stamped drum tag & ring-coded FIMT: TEBAOFLEX OPGW-<COUNT>B1-<AREA>

Delivery form: Fumigated export wooden or steel drums
Standard drum lengths: 1000 m · 2000 m · 4000 m (or custom cut lengths)
MOQ: 500 m (standard) · 1000 m (custom build)
Lead time: 2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms: EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFOPGW Optical Ground Wire – technical datasheet7 sizes · construction, technical data, approvals XLSXOPGW spec data (Excel)All 7 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation

Revision: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

How do we match OPGW mechanical and electrical parameters to an existing earth wire?

When retrofitting an existing transmission line, we adjust the ratio of Aluminum-Clad Steel (ACS, 20SA to 40SA) wires and 6201 Aluminum Alloy Wires (AAW) so the outer diameter, unit weight, modulus of elasticity, RTS, and short-circuit I²t match the tower's design wind/ice loads and substation fault current.

Why are the optical fibres housed inside a laser-welded stainless steel tube (FIMT)?

The hermetically welded 304L/316L stainless steel tube forms an impenetrable barrier against moisture, hydrogen gas, and radial crushing during stringing over tension sheaves, while thermally isolating the gel-buffered fibres during brief +200 °C short-circuit current pulses.

What hardware is supplied with OPGW drums for transmission line stringing?

We supply matched preformed helical tension dead-ends, suspension clamps with elastomeric cushions, earthing bonding leads, stockbridge vibration dampers, down-lead clamps, and weatherproof metal tower splice boxes.

When should a utility choose OPPC or ADSS instead of OPGW?

Choose OPGW on 110–1000 kV lines equipped with earth-wire peaks. On 10–110 kV distribution or sub-transmission lines built without an overhead earth wire, specify OPPC (Optical Phase Conductor) inside one of the three phase conductors, or ADSS suspended below the phase cross-arms.

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OPGW Optical Ground Wire

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