Project record · Mexico · Heavy mobile mining equipment · 2,000 V Type G-GC
Type G-GC 2,000 V Portable Mining Cable for Mexico: 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG
A buyer in Mexico ordered 2,000 V Type G-GC portable mining cable to supply heavy mobile mining equipment. The order specified three 4/0 AWG power conductors, two 2 AWG grounding conductors and one 8 AWG ground-check conductor: 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG. TEBAOFLEX made the 3×4/0 AWG portable mining cable with tinned copper conductors, EPR insulation and a black CPE jacket. The cable was wound on wooden drums with steel-framed flanges and loaded into shipping containers by early October 2026.
Project at a glance
| Application | Power supply to heavy mobile mining equipment in Mexico, on circuits up to 2,000 V |
|---|---|
| Customer | Buyer in Mexico (name not published) |
| Cable | Type G-GC portable mining cable, 2,000 V, 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG |
| Conductors | Tinned copper: 3 × 4/0 AWG power, 2 × 2 AWG grounding, 1 × 8 AWG ground check |
| Insulation and jacket | EPR power-conductor insulation rated 90 °C; black CPE jacket |
| Core colours | Power cores black, white and red; grounding conductors green; ground-check conductor yellow |
| Sample | Cut sample labelled TEBAOFLEX CABLE, 2KV, G-GC, 3×4/0+2×2+1x8AWG, dated 14 March 2026 |
| Shipment | Wooden drums with steel-framed flanges and TEBAOFLEX branding, loaded into shipping containers by early October 2026 |
What does 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG mean in a Type G-GC cable?
3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG lists every conductor in the cable, all under one round jacket. It means three 4/0 AWG power conductors for the three phases, two 2 AWG grounding conductors and one 8 AWG ground-check conductor. Type G-GC is the name for exactly this layout in ICEA S-75-381 / NEMA WC 58: a portable cable for 2,000 V or less with grounding conductors and one ground-check conductor (NEMA WC 58 scope). Buyers in Mexico and Latin America often write the same cable as 3×4/0 + 2 tierras + 1 piloto.
- Power conductors: 3 × 4/0 AWG, flexible stranded tinned copper (TCU on the jacket print)
- Power-conductor insulation: EPR, rated 90 °C, one core each in black, white and red
- Grounding conductors: 2 × 2 AWG tinned copper, green insulation on this order
- Ground-check conductor: 1 × 8 AWG tinned copper, yellow insulation
- Jacket: black CPE, printed with the voltage, type, sizes and materials
| Item | This order |
|---|---|
| Designation on the jacket | 3×4/0+2×2+1×8 AWG |
| Voltage on the jacket | 2kV (2,000 V) |
| Power conductors | 3 × 4/0 AWG, flexible stranded tinned copper |
| Power-conductor insulation | EPR rated 90 °C; black, white and red |
| Grounding conductors | 2 × 2 AWG tinned copper, green insulation |
| Ground-check conductor | 1 × 8 AWG tinned copper, yellow insulation |
| Jacket | Black CPE |
Both grounding conductors on this order carry green insulation. Type G-GC cables are also made with bare grounding conductors, so state in the enquiry which you need. Diameter, weight, strand count and the 287 A rating for this size are listed in the 3/C 4/0 AWG row of the Type G-GC size table, with the reel correction factors just below the table.
What does the ground-check conductor do?
The 8 AWG ground-check conductor lets a monitor in the power centre check, continuously, that the grounding conductors still connect the machine frame back to the system ground. The monitor sends a low-voltage signal out on the ground-check conductor, through a termination at the machine and back on the grounding conductors. If the ground-check conductor breaks or the grounding path back to the power centre is lost, the monitor opens the breaker that feeds the cable.
- Power centre with the circuit breaker that feeds the cable
- Ground-check monitor: sends a low-voltage signal around the loop and trips the breaker if the loop opens
- Grounding conductors (green): the return path of the loop and the protective ground of the machine frame
- Ground-check conductor (yellow): carries the monitoring signal out to the machine
- Coupler: disconnects the ground-check conductor first and the grounding conductors last
- Termination device at the machine, connecting the ground-check conductor to the machine frame
- Machine frame, connected back to the power centre through the grounding conductors
In US coal mines, 30 CFR 75.902 and its surface counterpart 77.902 require this kind of fail-safe ground-check circuit on low- and medium-voltage resistance-grounded systems, up to 1,000 V. Above 1,000 V the circuit counts as high voltage, and 30 CFR 75.803 and 77.803 carry the same requirement. The ground-check voltage is limited to 40 V on low- and medium-voltage circuits and to 96 V on high-voltage circuits, and on low- and medium-voltage circuits cable couplers must break the ground-check conductor first and the grounding conductors last. The two grounding conductors run in parallel, so a break in only one of them does not trip a basic loop monitor; they still need regular inspection. These rules are a reference rather than law for a mine in Mexico. NOM-023-STPS-2012 is Mexico's safety standard for underground and open-pit mines; underground coal mines fall under a separate standard. It asks for flexible, heavy-duty supply cables secured to the machine and kept free of mechanical tension (clauses 8.9.21 and 9.9.13). Underground, it also requires automatic disconnection on a ground fault for portable equipment supplied at 440 V or more (clause 8.9.19).
The cable provides the conductor; the protection itself comes from the monitor, the couplers and the terminations. How the ground-check conductor differs from the grounding conductors, and when a mine needs it, is set out in our guide to the ground-check function in mining cables.
Why two 2 AWG grounding conductors with 4/0 power conductors?
Two 2 AWG grounding conductors together hold about 133 kcmil (67 mm²) of copper, against 212 kcmil (107 mm²) in each 4/0 AWG power conductor, so the ground path is more than half the size of one phase. US mining rules use one-half of the power-conductor size as the minimum for grounding wires (30 CFR 75.701-4). Splitting the ground into two conductors also lets them sit in the spaces between the three power cores, which keeps the cable round.
How much current can a 3×4/0 Type G-GC cable carry, including on a reel?
TEBAOFLEX rates the three-conductor (3/C) 4/0 AWG Type G-GC at 287 A with the conductor at 90 °C and 40 °C ambient air, on the ICEA S-75-381 basis. For reference, NEC Table 400.5(A)(2) lists 316 A for the same size at 30 °C. On a reel the wound turns heat one another and shed heat poorly, so the ICEA reel factors reduce the 287 A rating to about 244 A with one layer on the reel and 100 A with four.
| Layers on the reel | ICEA factor | Current from 287 A (calculated) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.85 | 244 A |
| 2 | 0.65 | 187 A |
| 3 | 0.45 | 129 A |
| 4 | 0.35 | 100 A |
A US federal mine-safety bulletin on trailing cable overheating on equipment cable reels (PIB P10-20) lists these ICEA factors among its remedies, while noting that they assume continuous current rather than the on/off duty of most reeled machines. It also suggests unwinding all but the last layer of cable from the reel and tying the excess off near the anchor point, so the whole length can cool. The values above are selection figures calculated from the datasheet rating, not test results for this order. For a machine that reels its cable, send the number of layers that stay on the reel and the duty cycle, so the conductor size can be checked against them.
What the jacket print says
The jacket of this order carries everything needed to identify the cable in the mine without a datasheet. It is printed with the voltage (2kV), the use (portable mining cable for wet or dry locations), the temperature rating (90°C), the type (G-GC), the conductor sizes (3×4/0+2×2+1×8 AWG) and the materials (TCU/EPR/CPE). The full print, read from a sample, is:
2kV Portable Cable 90°C SUN OIL RES WET OR DRY Type G-GC Mining Cable 3×4/0+2×2+1×8 AWG TCU/EPR/CPE
| Printed text | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 2kV Portable Cable | Voltage rating 2,000 V; made to be moved with the equipment it supplies |
| 90°C | Maximum continuous conductor temperature |
| SUN OIL RES | Jacket marked sunlight-resistant and oil-resistant |
| WET OR DRY | For wet or dry locations |
| Type G-GC Mining Cable | Cable type: grounding conductors plus one ground-check conductor |
| 3×4/0+2×2+1×8 AWG | Three 4/0 AWG power conductors, two 2 AWG grounding conductors, one 8 AWG ground-check conductor |
| TCU/EPR/CPE | Tinned copper conductors, EPR insulation, CPE jacket |
The jacket is crosslinked chlorinated polyethylene (CPE). CPE jackets of the type covered by ASTM D4313 are not recommended for installation below −25 °C, so state the lowest site temperature in the enquiry if the cable will be laid or reeled in very cold weather.
From sample to shipment
A cut sample of the cable was labelled TEBAOFLEX CABLE, 2KV, G-GC, 3×4/0+2×2+1x8AWG and dated 14 March 2026. The finished cable was wound on wooden drums with steel-framed flanges, stencilled with the TEBAOFLEX name, and loaded into shipping containers by early October 2026.
What to send for a Type G-GC quote
- Circuit voltage and the equipment the cable supplies (Type G-GC covers 2,000 V or less)
- Conductor sizes as power + grounding + ground check, for example 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG (in Spanish: 3×4/0 + 2 tierras + 1 piloto)
- Insulated or bare grounding conductors, and any colour code required
- Whether the cable runs on a reel, and how many layers stay on it in service
- Length on each shipping drum and number of drums
- Jacket print required, including any mine or customer identification
- Lowest and highest ambient temperature at the site
- Documents and inspections required with the delivery, and the delivery country
The standard construction, all sizes and the datasheet are on our Type G-GC 2,000 V cable page. Where the mine's specification calls for individually shielded power conductors, our shielded SHD-GC cable is made from 2 kV up to 25 kV, and other trailing and reeling cables for mines are listed under mining and tunnelling cables. As of August 2026, TEBAOFLEX's minimum order is 50 m for standard and custom cables alike. Lead times range from 7 to 45 working days depending on the product type and its customisation; the written quotation confirms the lead time for your order, and transit and customs time depend on the route.
The shielded counterpart of this order at the same voltage, an SHD-GC 3×6 AWG cable with a braid shield over each power conductor and an orange TPU jacket for a distributor in Peru, is documented in the SHD-GC 2 kV project record for Peru.
Send your conductor sizes and drum lengths for a quote →
Questions on Type G-GC 3×4/0 AWG mining cable
What is Type G-GC 3×4/0 + 2×2 + 1×8 AWG cable?
It is a round portable mining power cable rated 2,000 V with three 4/0 AWG power conductors, two 2 AWG grounding conductors and one 8 AWG ground-check conductor under one jacket. Type G-GC is the ICEA S-75-381 / NEMA WC 58 type for portable cables of 2,000 V or less that carry grounding conductors and one ground-check conductor. This order for heavy mobile mining equipment in Mexico was made with tinned copper conductors, EPR insulation and a black CPE jacket.
What does the ground-check conductor in a Type G-GC cable do?
The ground-check conductor lets a monitor in the power centre confirm, continuously, that the grounding conductors still connect the machine frame back to the system ground. The monitor sends a low-voltage signal out on the ground-check conductor and back on the grounding conductors, and opens the breaker if the loop breaks. In US coal mines, 30 CFR 75.902 and 77.902 require this fail-safe ground check on low- and medium-voltage resistance-grounded circuits, up to 1,000 V. Above 1,000 V, 30 CFR 75.803 and 77.803 require it.
What is the ampacity of 4/0 Type G-GC cable on a reel?
TEBAOFLEX rates the three-conductor (3/C) 4/0 AWG Type G-GC at 287 A with a 90 °C conductor in 40 °C ambient air. With the cable wound on a reel, the ICEA reel factors reduce that to about 244 A for one layer, 187 A for two, 129 A for three and 100 A for four. These are calculated selection values, not test results.
How does Type G-GC differ from Type G, Type W and SHD-GC?
In ICEA S-75-381 / NEMA WC 58, Type G has power and grounding conductors but no ground-check conductor, and Type W has no grounding conductors at all. Type G-GC adds one ground-check conductor to the Type G layout, so a ground-check monitor can supervise the ground path. SHD-GC also carries grounding and ground-check conductors but shields each power conductor individually, and is made from 2 kV up to 25 kV. Where US mining rules apply, a trailing cable on a circuit above 1,000 V needs a shield around each power conductor (30 CFR 75.804 and 77.804), which points to SHD-GC; elsewhere the mine's electrical specification decides.
How do buyers in Mexico write this cable in an enquiry?
Buyers in Mexico and Latin America usually write it as 3×4/0 + 2 tierras + 1 piloto: three 4/0 AWG phases, two grounding conductors (tierras) and one ground-check, or pilot, conductor (piloto). The same order in AWG notation is 3×4/0 AWG + 2×2 AWG + 1×8 AWG, which is how it is printed on the jacket.