Western HVDC Link

SETTING RECORDS IN THE UK

February 2012 - Prysmian has been awarded a record contract worth approximately €800 million, the highest value ever awarded in the cable business, for the development of Western HVDC Link, a submarine High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector between Scotland and England.

The project requires full turnkey provision of an HVDC link (design, manufacture, installation, testing and commissioning) and includes a bi-pole of cables using PPL (Paper Polypropylene Laminate) insulation, with enhanced electrical and thermal performance. Prysmian has been a forerunner in bringing to the market Mass Impregnated PPL cables, an innovative material technology that allows reaching higher voltage classes, reduced cables dimensions for equivalent transmission capacity and optimized power losses. The undisputed expertise in the field of MI PPL cables represented a key success factor for Prysmian in winning the award.

With a route length in excess of 400km, the link includes a short land section in Scotland and a significant land portion in England-Wales; the submarine section is installed in the Irish Sea. Offshore installation is committed to Prysmian's own cable ship Giulio Verne.

“This milestone reconfirms our undisputed prominent role in the submarine cables sector," states Fabio Romeo Executive Vice President Energy Business. "Both in terms of market share and track record, and in terms of know-how and innovation capabilities. In addition, I would also like to highlight our ever-increasing commitment to the renewable energies sector, with a wide range of high-end products and technologies available to support the development of greener and smarter power grids."