LoviSil® oil refill splices extend cable life at German refinery

At a major German refinery, LoviSil® Oil Refill Splices from Lovink Enertech are extending the service life of aging PILC (Paper-Insulated Lead-Covered) cables. This innovative solution eliminates the need for costly cable replacement while ensuring a reliable medium-voltage infrastructure that is ready for the future. As a result, more and more companies are choosing this technology.

The Challenge: Aging PILC Cables with Increased Failure Risk

Many industrial facilities across Europe still rely on aging 10–30 kV PILC cable networks. While these systems are known for their robustness, a challenge often arises when cables are disconnected from their original oil-filled terminations. This can cause the paper insulation to dry out, increasing the risk of cable failure.

This issue commonly occurs during network upgrades or when integrating modern XLPE cables and switchgear into existing networks.

At this refinery, the project team needed to connect a 10 kV PILC cable (1 × 3 × 150 mm²) to an XLPE cable (3 × 1 × 240 mm²). Without an oil replenishment solution, the insulation would gradually deteriorate, leading to a higher risk of outages.

The Solution: LoviSil® Oil Refill Splices

Lovink Enertech developed the LoviSil® Oil Refill Splice specifically to prevent PILC cables from drying out. This technology actively replenishes oil within the cable through a dedicated distribution manifold and refill reservoir.

In addition, the solution offers several key benefits:

• Preserves paper insulation, preventing premature aging and extending cable service life.
• Seamless integration between PILC and XLPE cable systems.
• Reduces costs by eliminating the need for expensive cable replacement.
• Enhances reliability in critical medium-voltage networks.

The installation was completed by Alessandri GmbH, resulting in a successful project delivery and complete customer satisfaction.

Result: Sustainable and Reliable Infrastructure

The upgraded cable section continues to operate with full reliability. All parties involved—the refinery, Alessandri GmbH, and Lovink Enertech—reported a high level of satisfaction with the outcome. Discussions regarding future projects have already begun.

This project highlights the importance of sustainable solutions in the energy and petrochemical industries. By revitalizing existing infrastructure instead of replacing it, organizations benefit from:

• Reduced waste
• Lower costs
• Improved network reliability

For operators of aging cable networks, the message is clear: revitalizing existing assets with LoviSil® cable splices is a smart, future-ready investment.