KEMA officially opens new state-of-the-art High Voltage Laboratory

Largest commercially operated HVL in the world

Arnhem(The Netherlands), October 15, 2009 – KEMA officially opened the doors to its new High Voltage Laboratory (HVL) in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The opening coincided with KEMA Conference 2009 -- an intimate meeting of leaders in the energy industry hosted by KEMA -- and was celebrated with the ceremonious unveiling of a dedicated statue, led by Clemens Cornielje, Her Majesty’s governor of the Province of Gelderland.  

This momentous occasion formally opened the lab to global customers. The new HVL will functionas an independent laboratory for testing and certification of high- and medium-voltage components used in electrical infrastructure. From the lab, KEMA will issue Type Test Certificates and Test Reports for tests on cables, cable accessories, insulators, power transformers, instrument transformers, GIS, switchgear, panels and other components. 

“Our new, state-of-the-art, High Voltage Laboratory, is the largest commercially operated HV Lab in the world,” said Peter Bus, managing director of KEMA’s T&D testing services. “We expect the lab to play a major role in helping companies worldwide make strategic decisions about infrastructure development.”

Pier Nabuurs, KEMA CEO, opened the ceremony by thanking guests and colleagues from around the globe for joining in the occasion. Charles Groenhuijsen, chairman of KEMA Conference 2009, and Jeremy Rifkin, keynote speaker, provided a recap of the day’s events, which included meetings and in-depth discussions about the future of energy in relation to system implementation, the grid and testing practices.

Prior to a dramatic unveiling of the statue, featuring dancers and musicians on stilts, Cornielje addressed the crowd, focusing on the challenges ahead and the upcoming G20 summit in Copenhagen. Following some serious remarks about the energy transition and what means for the Netherlands and KEMA, he introduced the capabilities of the new lab, and its positive impact on the region.