# How much power can you draw from a P17 socket?

> How many kVA behind a P17 socket? Reference figures from 16 A to 125 A and for a 400 A Powerlock, the margin to keep and why cable length matters.

Source: https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/did-you-know/p17-socket-power/ · Dark Side Energy · Updated: 2026-10-12

12 October 2026 · 2 min read

- The power of a socket depends on its rating and its supply: single-phase 230 V or three-phase 400 V.
- A 32 A three-phase P17, for example, supplies at most 22.2 kVA.
- These are theoretical maximums: keep a margin and allow for the cable length.

At a trade show or a concert, one question keeps coming up: how much power can you draw from this socket?

The answer depends on two things: the socket's rating, in amperes, and the supply feeding it, single-phase 230 V or three-phase 400 V.

## Back to basics

In France, [P17](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/glossary/#p17) is the name commonly given to industrial sockets and plugs complying with the CEI 60309 standard (IEC 60309). They come in 16, 32, 63 and 125 A, single-phase or three-phase, and they are the standard for event power distribution.

The apparent power of a socket is simple to work out: voltage × current in single-phase, √3 × voltage × current in three-phase. For example, a 16 A three-phase P17 gives √3 × 400 V × 16 A, or about 11,085 VA, rounded to 11.1 kVA.

Here are our reference figures, at 230 V for single-phase and at 400 V for three-phase:

- 16 A single-phase socket: 3.7 kVA;
- 16 A three-phase P17: 11.1 kVA;
- 32 A three-phase P17: 22.2 kVA;
- 63 A three-phase P17: 43.6 kVA;
- 125 A three-phase P17: 86.6 kVA.

Beyond that, we move on to [Powerlock](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/glossary/#powerlock) connectors, one per phase, one for neutral and one for earth: a 400 A Powerlock represents 277.1 kVA.

## Maximums, not targets

Be careful: these figures are theoretical maximum apparent power, with no diversity factor and no margin. They tell you the most the socket can supply, not what it is sensible to plug into it.

A socket loaded to its maximum leaves no reserve: at the slightest overshoot, the circuit breaker trips. So we always keep a margin between the power required and the capacity of the socket.

Cable length matters too. A cable is a resistance: the longer it is, the greater the [voltage drop](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/glossary/#chute-de-tension), and the lower the voltage reaching the equipment at the end of the line. Over long runs, you therefore need a larger [cable size](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/did-you-know/cable-size/).

To sum up, the rating and the supply give the socket's maximum. The diversity factor of your equipment, the margin and the cable length tell you what you can really connect to it.

> What a socket can give is not what you should ask of it.

Find the power behind each connector and convert kVA, kW and amps in an instant.

[Open the electrical calculator](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/electrical-calculator/#reperes)

[What is the diversity factor?](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/did-you-know/diversity-factor/)
[Single-phase or three-phase: why balance the phases?](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/did-you-know/balancing-phases/)

## A project? Let's talk power.

Venue, dates, known requirements: tell us about your event and we will get back to you quickly.

[Request a quote](https://www.darkside-energy.com/en/contact/)
[contact@darkside-energy.com](mailto:contact@darkside-energy.com)