Substation

Surge arresters from MV distribution to EHV transmission.

Among the highest quality surge arresters in the world, in service in more than 100 countries, including New Zealand and Australia. Distribution, station and line arresters for 11 to 500 kV networks, in silicone or porcelain housings, proven in coastal, desert, polluted, high wind and seismic regions.

EHV station class surge arrester with grey silicone housing, grading ring and aluminium base
Network voltage
11 to 500 kV
Nominal discharge current
10 and 20 kA
Housing
Silicone or porcelain
In service
More than 100 countries

The range

Our surge arresters protect transformers, switchgear, cables, generators and lines from lightning and switching overvoltages. Each is a gapless metal oxide arrester to IEC 60099-4, sized to your system voltage, earthing and energy duty, and supplied with the monitoring and accessories each site needs.

MV Distribution Arresters

Silicone housed arresters for 11 to 33 kV networks, class Distribution High to IEC 60099-4, rated up to 60 kV with a 10 kA nominal discharge current. Outdoor versions protect pole mounted transformers, cable terminations and line equipment, and indoor versions fit inside MV switchgear.

Combined Fuse and Arrester Assemblies

MV arresters can be supplied with our drop-out fuses as combined assemblies on a common mounting bracket, giving pole mounted transformers and spur lines overcurrent and overvoltage protection in one compact unit, with fewer parts to fit on the cross arm.

HV and EHV Station Arresters

Station class arresters for 66 to 500 kV substations, with ratings up to 800 kV, in Station Low, Medium and High classes with 10 or 20 kA nominal discharge currents. Silicone housings are available in two designs, and porcelain housings are available for sites that specify them.

Transmission Line Arresters

Arresters fitted along overhead lines, alongside the insulators, to divert lightning surges and prevent flashovers, reducing outages without adding shield wires or improving tower earthing. Available as externally gapped line arresters (EGLA), which connect only when lightning sparks over a series air gap, and non gapped line arresters (NGLA), which also limit switching overvoltages.

Surge Counters and Monitoring

Surge counters that record the number of discharges, counters that also measure total leakage current, monitoring spark gaps that record the charge of each discharge, and online monitoring systems that track leakage current for trend based health assessment.

Special Application Arresters

Arresters for capacitor banks, static VAR compensators, series compensation and HVDC, AC and DC railway arresters, and arresters designed to act as post insulators.

Specifications

Maximum values across the standard range. Each arrester is selected for your system voltage, earthing and energy duty, and final values are confirmed for each project.

Customised designs available. If your project needs ratings, features, design requirements or arrangements outside the standard range below, we design and manufacture to your requirements and application.

Technical dataSurge arresters
ParameterMV distributionHV and EHV station
Arrester typeGapless metal oxide; indoor and outdoorGapless metal oxide
IEC 60099-4 classDistribution High (DH)Station Low, Medium and High (SL, SM, SH)
Network voltage11, 22 and 33 kV66, 110, 132, 220, 275, 330 and 500 kV
Rated voltageUp to 60 kVUp to 624 kV
Nominal discharge current10 kA, 8/20 µs10 or 20 kA, 8/20 µs
Rated thermal energy3 kJ per kV of rated voltageUp to 18 kJ per kV of rated voltage
Repetitive charge transfer0.4 CUp to 4.4 C
Thermal charge transfer1.1 C 
High current impulse withstand100 kA, 4/10 µs100 kA, 4/10 µs
Long duration current impulse Up to 2,600 A, 2 ms
Short circuit rating63 kAUp to 80 kA silicone; 65 kA porcelain
HousingSiliconeSilicone or porcelain
Silicone housing designFilament cageCage of glass fibre rods, or glass fibre tube with pressure relief
Specified long term load350 N·mUp to 12,000 N·m silicone; 14,000 N·m porcelain
Specified short term load500 N·mUp to 23,000 N·m silicone; 35,000 N·m porcelain
AccessoriesEarth lead disconnectors; mounting and insulating brackets; terminal clamps; wildlife coversGrading rings; insulating bases; terminal clamps; surge counters; online monitoring
StandardsIEC 60099-4IEC 60099-4

Design and performance

Premium, state of the art arresters engineered for stable protection levels, low failure rates and long service life.

In Service in Over 100 Countries

These arresters protect networks in more than 100 countries, including New Zealand and Australia, from a manufacturer with over 100 years of high voltage experience and some of the lowest failure rates in the industry.

Premium Metal Oxide Blocks

The metal oxide varistor (MOV) blocks set an arrester's protection level and energy capability. Ours come only from leading block makers, and every block is individually tested before it goes into an arrester.

Silicone That Stays Water Repellent

Silicone rubber housings keep their water repellence for the life of the arrester, so pollution and salt cannot form a continuous wet layer. The silicone resists tracking, erosion and UV, is fire retardant and self extinguishing, and weighs far less than porcelain.

Three Housing Designs

A cage of glass fibre rods around the blocks for advanced mechanical duty and line arresters, a gas filled glass fibre tube with pressure relief for the highest mechanical and seismic duty, and a compact filament cage, free of partial discharge, for MV and railway arresters.

Safe Under Overload

If an arrester is overloaded, cage and filament cage designs vent without violent failure and tube designs eject no internal parts, with short circuit ratings up to 80 kA.

Built for Harsh Environments

Proven in coastal and desert regions, heavily polluted industrial areas, high wind zones and earthquake prone regions, with cantilever strength up to 23,000 N·m in silicone and 35,000 N·m in porcelain.

Tested In House

Every block and arrester is routine tested. The manufacturer's own high voltage laboratory runs full type tests, with lightning impulse, power frequency, high current and long duration impulse testing, weather ageing and climate testing from −40°C to +100°C.

Applications

Delstar supplies surge arresters for:

01

Substation Transformers and Switchgear

Protecting power transformers, reactors, instrument transformers and switchgear at 66 to 500 kV.

02

Overhead Transmission Lines

Line arresters that cut lightning outages on lines with high earth resistance or poor shielding.

03

Distribution Networks

Protecting pole and pad mounted transformers, cable terminations, reclosers and switchgear at 11 to 33 kV, including combined fuse and arrester assemblies.

04

Generation and Renewables

Generator, wind and solar farm protection, and their grid connection substations.

05

Capacitor Banks, SVC and HVDC

High energy arresters for capacitor banks, static VAR compensators, series compensation and HVDC.

06

Railway and Industrial Networks

AC and DC traction systems, and plant networks for mines, smelters and refineries.

Sourcing and quality assurance

These are among the highest quality surge arresters in the world, made in Europe by a specialist manufacturer with over 100 years of high voltage experience, part of an international electrical engineering group. Every arrester is designed and type tested to IEC 60099-4 and routine tested before dispatch, and the manufacturer is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.

Lifecycle support

  • Specification and selection: we help select the rated voltage, class, energy rating and housing for each location, from insulation coordination studies or your existing standards.
  • Condition monitoring: surge counters and leakage current monitoring to track arrester health in service.
  • Spares and asset management: replacement arresters, counters and accessories can be held locally.

Talk to our team

Specify your surge arrester requirement.

Send us your system voltage, earthing, equipment to be protected, energy duty, pollution and seismic requirements, and we will recommend the right arrester and confirm availability, lead time and local support.