Nexans wins major subsea HVDC cable contract from Greece’s Ariadne Interconnection S.P.S.A

PRESS RELEASE                                                                                                                           

Nexans wins major subsea HVDC cable contract from Greece’s Ariadne Interconnection S.P.S.A

• The new interconnection will enable Crete’s renewable energy transition by providing a one gigawatt (GW) link between the island Crete and Greece’s mainland network
• Nexans will design, manufacture and lay 335 kilometers of subsea HVDC cable at water depths down to 1,200 meters.

      ·Contract value exceeds €220m and is part of Nexans’ current €1.6bn order backlog for subsea cable projects

Paris La Défense, May 27, 2020 – Nexans has been awarded a major contract to design, manufacture and install a 335 km subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system for Ariadne Interconnection S.P.S.A, owned 100 percent by IPTO, Greece’s state grid operator. The interconnection will link the electricity network on mainland Greece to Crete. The project will provide security of supply for the island and enables the transition from fossil fuel generation to renewable wind and solar energy resources.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, with a population of around 700,000 people. It also attracts over 4 million visitors a year, mainly during the summer. The island currently relies mainly on out-dated fossil fuel generation. The  new submarine cable interconnection will ensure that Crete has a reliable power supply essential for its future prosperity. The interconnection will also reduce emissions, making the island even more attractive to tourists, and also helping it to develop its own renewable energy resources by enabling excess generation to be exported back to the mainland.

The cable will span a subsea distance of 335 km from the Attica region on the Greek mainland to the Herakleion area in Crete. Over a 35-month project, Nexans will provide one 500 megawatt (MW) HVDC subsea cable system to form half of the total 1000 MW bipole interconnection.

The Nexans cable, rated at 500,000 Volt, is based on its well-proven mass impregnated non-draining (MIND) design for HVDC cable systems and will integrate fiber optic elements for sensor applications. The near-shore sections of the cable, to be installed at water depths down to 100 meters, will feature an aluminium conductor core with a cross-section of 1,800 mm². The deeper sections of the cable, installed at depths down to 1200 meters, will feature a 1,500 mm² cross-section aluminium conductor. The cable will be protected by trenching into the seabed using the Nexans Capjet water jetting system down to 600 meters water depth

The HVDC cable will be manufactured in the Nexans plant in Halden, Norway and/or the plant in Futtsu, Japan. It will be installed by one of Nexans’ own dedicated cable vessels – Nexans Skagerrak or new Nexans Aurora. The interconnection is scheduled to come on line in 2023.

About Nexans

Nexans is a key driver for the world’s transition to a more connected and sustainable energy future. For over 120 years, the Group has brought energy to life by providing customers with advanced cable technologies for power and data transmission. Today, Nexans goes beyond cables to offer customers a complete service that leverages digital technology to maximize the performance and efficiency of their critical assets. The Group designs solutions and services along the entire value chain in four main business areas: Building & Territories (including utilities and e­mobility), High Voltage & Projects (covering offshore wind farms, subsea interconnections, land high voltage), Telecom & Data (covering data transmission, telecom networks, hyperscale data centers, LAN), and Industry & Solutions (including renewables, transportation, oil and gas, automation, and others).

Corporate Social Responsibility is a guiding principle of Nexans’ business activities and internal practices. In 2013 Nexans was the first cable provider to create a Foundation supporting sustainable initiatives bringing access to energy to disadvantaged communities worldwide. The Group’s commitment to developing ethical, sustainable and high-quality cables also drives its active involvement within leading industry associations, including Europacable, the NEMA, ICF and CIGRE.

Nexans employs nearly 26,000 people with an industrial footprint in 34 countries and commercial activities worldwide. In 2019, the Group generated 6.7 billion euros in sales.

Nexans is listed on Euronext Paris, compartment A.

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