​​Join us for an advanced 1.5-hour technical webinar that delivers the most comprehensive training ever presented on the design of power cable systems installed using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). This free session is tailored for transmission engineers, cable designers, and project specialists involved in complex underground and submarine cable installations.

HDD is increasingly used for river crossings, congested urban areas, and landfall sections of offshore wind farm cables—but it presents unique mechanical, thermal, and installation design challenges. This webinar will take a deep dive into the engineering principles, modelling approaches, and design verifications required to ensure safe, reliable, and thermally efficient HDD installations.
Drawing from CIGRE technical papers, IEC 60287 standards, and verified Finite Element Method (FEM) modelling results, this session will demonstrate how to accurately calculate ampacity, assess soil conditions, and optimise pipe and duct configurations.

​​What You’ll Learn

​​➤ HDD Fundamentals for Power Cables
Understand how HDD differs from traditional open-cut methods, including the effects of bore geometry, pipe deflection limits, drilling fluid, and installation stages.

​​➤ Cable and Pipe Configuration Options
Compare casing and duct layouts—single large casing pipes, multiple ducts, and direct-buried options—to balance protection, retrievability, and ampacity performance.

​​➤ Thermal Design and Ampacity Calculations
Explore how burial depth, soil thermal resistivity, and filling materials influence cable ratings. Learn when to apply IEC 60287 analytical methods versus FEM-based models for HDD systems.

​​➤ Soil Thermal and Moisture Behaviour
Investigate how soil drying, groundwater levels, and temperature gradients affect long-term thermal resistance and how to model these factors in FEM software.

​​➤ Landfall and Submarine Transition Zones
Learn how to mitigate the thermal bottlenecks in landfall sections using advanced design approaches, including sheath bonding strategies and optimised backfill.

​​➤ Validation with CIGRE and FEM Modelling
See how ELEK’s validated FEM approach compares with CIGRE benchmark studies, ensuring engineering accuracy in even the most complex geometries.

​​➤ Live Software Demonstration
Watch practical examples modelled in ELEK Cable HV™, including cable systems in ducts, grout-filled casings, and deep HDD sections—showing real-time ampacity computation and sensitivity analysis.

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​​Why You Should Attend

​​This masterclass brings together decades of collective research and real-world experience, offering attendees a rare chance to gain design insights not covered in textbooks or standards. Whether you’re specifying new transmission corridors, designing offshore export cables, or managing underground routing constraints, this session will equip you with the analytical tools and confidence to optimise your HDD cable designs.

​​ Event Details

• ​​Duration: 1.5 hours

• ​​Presenters: Jayson Patrick, Dr Edstan Fernandez, and Dr Michael Jiao

• ​​Delivered live twice for Australia (16:00 GMT+11) and Europe (23:30 GMT+11)

• ​​Includes live Q&A and certificate of attendance

​​TERMS AND CONDITIONS

​​• Attendees who complete the survey form will receive their certificate within 2–3 business days.
• Survey forms expire within 48 hours after the webinar.
• Paid ticket holders who do not complete the survey will still receive the slides and recorded videos.
• Paid ticket holders will receive materials within 5–6 business days after the webinar.