IEC 60092-352:2025

Overview

IEC 60092-352:2025 - Electrical installations in ships: Selection, installation and operating conditions of cables provides updated, consolidated guidance for selecting and installing electrical and fibre optic cables for fixed shipboard electrical systems at voltages up to and including Um 18/30 (36) kV. This fourth edition (2025) replaces the 2005 edition and adds requirements for symmetrical category cables (transmission characteristics up to 1 000 MHz) and fibre optic cables, plus provisions for installations between areas with and without explosive atmospheres. The standard applies to fixed cable runs subject to ship movement and vibration - not to cables designed for frequent flexing (see IEC 60227 / IEC 60245).

Key Topics

• Scope and definitions: Updated terms and alignment with the IEC 60092 series (350–379).
• Types and voltage ratings: Power, control, instrumentation and symmetrical category cables; fibre optic cable inclusion.
• Conductor sizing & current carrying capacity: Guidance and tabulated ratings (multiple conductor temperature classes) with correction factors for ambient temperature, short‑time duty, and cable grouping.
• Installation requirements: Routing, supports, bending radii, mechanical protection, armour and earthing of metal coverings, and penetration of bulkheads/decks.
• Electrical performance: Voltage drop, short‑circuit withstand capability and parallel cable use.
• Fire performance & safety: Cable fire behavior, relevant SOLAS considerations, and informative annex on fire stops.
• EMI and screening: Installation practices for electromagnetic interference mitigation and requirements for screened/shielded cables.
• Fibre optic & high‑frequency cables: Technical requirements for installation and transmission‑grade cable handling up to 1 000 MHz.
• Hazardous areas: Special provisions for cables installed between explosive and non‑explosive zones.
• Annexes & tables: Detailed current‑carrying tables, bending radii, correction factors, splicing guidance and more.

Applications

IEC 60092-352 is essential for:

• Marine electrical engineers & ship designers specifying cable types, sizing and routing for newbuilds and refits.
• Shipbuilders & installation contractors executing compliant cable runs, penetrations and terminations.
• Classification societies & surveyors assessing conformity with international shipboard electrical safety and SOLAS requirements.
• Cable manufacturers & suppliers developing marine-grade power, control, symmetrical category and fibre optic cables.
• Offshore unit operators requiring robust cable installation practices for fixed systems.

Practical uses include cable selection for power/control circuits, determining grouping and derating factors, specifying fire‑safe installations, and designing fibre optic and high‑frequency data pathways on vessels and offshore units.

Related Standards

• IEC 60092 series (other parts covering systems and components)
• IEC 60227, IEC 60245 (flexible cables for frequent flexing)
• SOLAS regulations (safety of life at sea)