Three-phase electric power (industrial applications only)
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Although single-phase power is more prevalent today, three-phase is still chosen as the power of choice for many different types of applications. Generators at power stations supply three-phase electricity. This is a way of supplying three times as much electricity along three wires as can be supplied through two, without having to increase the thickness of the wires. It is usually used in industry to drive motors and other devices.
Three-phase electricity is by its very nature a much smoother form of electricity than single-phase or two-phase power. It is this more consistent electrical power that allows machines to run more efficiently and last many years longer than their relative machines running on the other phases. Some applications are able to work with three-phase power in ways that would not work on single phase at all.
Mind you, since three-phase electricity is rarely used for domestic purposes, the table below is only relevant to electricians, electrical engineers and other technically skilled people. Travellers and laymen should take a look at the single-phase voltage table.
Country
Three-phase voltage (volts)
Frequency (hertz)
Number of wires (not including the ground wire)
Abu Dhabi (not a country, but a state (an emirate) within the United Arab Emirates)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Afghanistan
380 V
50 Hz
4
Albania
400 V
50 Hz
4
Algeria
400 V
50 Hz
4
American Samoa
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Andorra
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Angola
380 V
50 Hz
4
Anguilla
120/208 V / 127/220 V / 240/415 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Antigua and Barbuda
400 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Argentina
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Armenia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Aruba
220 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Australia
400 V (officially, but in practice often 415 V)
50 Hz
3, 4
Austria
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Azerbaijan
380 V
50 Hz
4
Azores
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Bahamas
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Bahrain
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Balearic Islands
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Bangladesh
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Barbados
200 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Belarus
380 V
50 Hz
4
Belgium
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Belize
190 V / 380 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Benin
380 V
50 Hz
4
Bermuda
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Bhutan
400 V
50 Hz
4
Bolivia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Bonaire
220 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Bosnia & Herzegovina
400 V
50 Hz
4
Botswana
400 V
50 Hz
4
Brazil
220/380 V
60 Hz
3, 4
British Virgin Islands
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Brunei
415 V
50 Hz
4
Bulgaria
400 V
50 Hz
4
Burkina Faso
380 V
50 Hz
4
Burma (officially Myanmar)
400 V
50 Hz
4
Burundi
380 V
50 Hz
4
Cambodia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Cameroon
380 V
50 Hz
4
Canada
120/208 V / 240 V / 480 V / 347/600 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Canary Islands
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Cape Verde (in Portuguese: Cabo Verde)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Cayman Islands
240 V
60 Hz
3
Central African Republic
380 V
50 Hz
4
Chad
380 V
50 Hz
4
Channel Islands (Guernsey & Jersey)
400 V
50 Hz
4
Chile
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
China, People’s Republic of
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Colombia
220 V / 440 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Comoros
380 V
50 Hz
4
Congo, Democratic Republic of the (Congo-Kinshasa)
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Congo, Republic of the (Congo-Brazzaville)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Cook Islands
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Costa Rica
240 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Croatia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Cuba
190 V / 440 V
60 Hz
3
Curaçao
220 V / 380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Cyprus
400 V
50 Hz
4
Czechia (Czech Republic)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Denmark
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Djibouti
380 V
50 Hz
4
Dominica
400 V
50 Hz
4
Dominican Republic
120/208 V / 277/480 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Dubai (not a country, but a state (an emirate) within the United Arab Emirates)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
380 V
50 Hz
4
Ecuador
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Egypt
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
El Salvador
200 V
60 Hz
3
England
400 V
50 Hz
4
Equatorial Guinea
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Eritrea
400 V
50 Hz
4
Estonia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Ethiopia
380 V
50 Hz
4
Faeroe Islands
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Falkland Islands
415 V
50 Hz
4
Fiji
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Finland
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
France
400 V
50 Hz
4
French Guiana
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Gabon (Gabonese Republic)
380 V
50 Hz
4
Gambia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Gaza
400 V
50 Hz
4
Georgia
380 V
50 Hz
4
Germany
400 V
50 Hz
4
Ghana
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Gibraltar
400 V
50 Hz
4
Great Britain (GB)
400 V
50 Hz
4
Greece
400 V
50 Hz
4
Greenland
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Grenada
400 V
50 Hz
4
Guadeloupe
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Guam
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Guatemala
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Guinea
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Guinea-Bissau
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Guyana
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Haiti
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Holland (officially the Netherlands)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Honduras
208 V / 230 V / 240 V / 460 V / 480 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Hong Kong
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Hungary
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Iceland
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
India
400 V
50 Hz
4
Indonesia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Iran
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Iraq
400 V
50 Hz
4
Ireland, Northern
400 V
50 Hz
4
Ireland, Republic of (Eire)
400 V
50 Hz
4
Isle of Man
400 V
50 Hz
4
Israel
400 V
50 Hz
4
Italy
400 V
50 Hz
4
Jamaica
190 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Japan
200 V
50 Hz / 60 Hz
3
Jordan
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Kazakhstan
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Kenya
415 V
50 Hz
4
Kiribati
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Korea, North
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Korea, South
380 V
60 Hz
4
Kosovo
230 V / 400 V
50 Hz
3
Kuwait
415 V
50 Hz
4
Kyrgyzstan
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Laos
400 V
50 Hz
4
Latvia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Lebanon
400 V
50 Hz
4
Lesotho
380 V
50 Hz
4
Liberia
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Libya
400 V
50 Hz
4
Liechtenstein
400 V
50 Hz
4
Lithuania
400 V
50 Hz
4
Luxembourg
400 V
50 Hz
4
Macau
380 V
50 Hz
3
Macedonia, North
400 V
50 Hz
4
Madagascar
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Madeira
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Malawi
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Malaysia
415 V
50 Hz
4
Maldives
400 V
50 Hz
4
Mali
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Malta
400 V
50 Hz
4
Marshall Islands
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Martinique
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Mauritania
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Mauritius
400 V
50 Hz
4
Mayotte
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Mexico
220 V / 480 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Micronesia, Federated States of
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Moldova
400 V
50 Hz
4
Monaco
400 V
50 Hz
4
Mongolia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Montenegro
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Montserrat
400 V
60 Hz
4
Morocco
380 V
50 Hz
4
Mozambique
380 V
50 Hz
4
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
400 V
50 Hz
4
Namibia
380 V
50 Hz
4
Nauru
415 V
50 Hz
4
Nepal
400 V
50 Hz
4
Netherlands
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
New Caledonia
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
New Zealand
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Nicaragua
208 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Niger
380 V
50 Hz
4
Nigeria
415 V
50 Hz
4
North Korea
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
North Macedonia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Northern Ireland
400 V
50 Hz
4
Norway
230 V / 400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Oman
415 V
50 Hz
4
Pakistan
400 V
50 Hz
3
Palau
208 V
60 Hz
3
Panama
240 V
60 Hz
3
Papua New Guinea
415 V
50 Hz
4
Paraguay
380 V
50 Hz
4
Peru
220 V
60 Hz
3
Philippines
380 V
60 Hz
3
Pitcairn Islands
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Poland
400 V
50 Hz
4
Portugal
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Puerto Rico
480 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Qatar
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Romania
400 V
50 Hz
4
Russia (officially the Russian Federation)
380 V
50 Hz
4
Rwanda
400 V
50 Hz
4
Réunion
400 V
50 Hz
4
Saba
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Saint Barthélemy (informally also referred to as Saint Barth’s or Saint Barts)
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Saint Helena
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Saint Kitts and Nevis (officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis)
400 V
60 Hz
4
Saint Lucia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Saint Martin
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
400 V
50 Hz
4
Samoa
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
San Marino
400 V
50 Hz
4
Saudi Arabia
400 V
60 Hz
4
Scotland
400 V
50 Hz
4
Senegal
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Serbia
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Seychelles
240 V
50 Hz
3
Sierra Leone
400 V
50 Hz
4
Singapore
400 V
50 Hz
4
Sint Eustatius
220 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Sint Maarten
220 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Slovakia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Slovenia
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Solomon Islands
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
[unavailable]
Somalia
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Somaliland (unrecognised, self-declared state)
380 V
50 Hz
3, 4
South Africa
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
South Korea
380 V
60 Hz
4
South Sudan
400 V
50 Hz
4
Spain
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Sri Lanka
400 V
50 Hz
4
Sudan
400 V
50 Hz
4
Suriname
220 V / 400 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Swaziland
400 V
50 Hz
4
Sweden
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Switzerland
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Syria
380 V
50 Hz
3
São Tomé and Príncipe
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Tahiti
380 V
50 Hz / 60 Hz
3, 4
Taiwan
220 V
60 Hz
4
Tajikistan
380 V
50 Hz
3
Tanzania
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Thailand
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Togo
380 V
50 Hz
4
Tonga
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Trinidad & Tobago
115/230 V / 230/400 V
60 Hz
4
Tunisia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Turkey
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Turkmenistan
380 V
50 Hz
3
Turks and Caicos Islands
240 V
60 Hz
4
Uganda
415 V
50 Hz
4
Ukraine
400 V
50 Hz
4
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
United Kingdom (UK)
400 V
50 Hz
4
United States of America (USA)
120/208 V / 277/480 V / 120/240 V / 240 V / 480 V
60 Hz
3, 4
United States Virgin Islands
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Uruguay
380 V
50 Hz
3
Uzbekistan
380 V
50 Hz
4
Vanuatu
400 V
50 Hz
3, 4
Venezuela
120 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Vietnam
380 V
50 Hz
4
Virgin Islands (British)
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Virgin Islands (USA)
190 V
60 Hz
3, 4
Wales
400 V
50 Hz
4
West Bank
400 V
50 Hz
4
Western Sahara
380 V
50 Hz
4
Yemen
400 V
50 Hz
4
Zambia
400 V
50 Hz
4
Zimbabwe
415 V
50 Hz
3, 4
