7/3/2022 - 

Nexans has been awarded a German turnkey contract for the manufacturing and installation of the direct current (DC) subsea and land cables for BorWin 6 by TenneT.

A press release said that the 235-kilometer-long 320 kV direct current connection will transmit up to 980 MW from the BorWin cluster. Germany is seeking to increase its offshore wind capacity, targeting 30 GW by 2030, and BorWin6 project will help Germany achieve these milestones.

To electrify the BorWin6 project, Nexans will manufacture, install and protect 320 kV DC XLPE 1 core cables for TenneT. The subsea part, manufactured in Nexans’ flagship site in Halden, Norway, will be 2 x 190 km and the land part, manufactured in Nexans’ site in Charleroi, Belgium, 2 x 46 km. The HVDC-link will be 320 kV. The contract includes full Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) turnkey offering.

BorWin6 is TenneT’s last 320kV HVDC project to connect the remaining almost 1GW from the BorWin cluster in the German North Sea to the onshore grid. The project is included in German Area development plan (FEP from BSH) and will start operations in 2027.

The release said that the contract reflects Nexans’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, focus on electrification and continued investments.

7/3/2022 - Nexans and its partners have won a project from Bpifrance (French Public Investment Bank) that calls for the installation of two superconducting DC cables near Montparnasse station in Paris, a unique integration of such cables into a railway system.

A press release said that the project is part of the “Investissements d’Avenir” (Investments for the Future) initiative coordinated by SNCF Réseau. It represents the first time that these types of cables will be integrated into a rail network and is set to be the first permanent installation in France on any network. With their revolutionary technology, these power cables will help secure the network

at a time when rail traffic is constantly growing in mega-cities.

Built in 1840 in Paris, Montparnasse is France’s fourth-largest train station, with more than 50 million passengers annually and more than 90 million expected in 2030. SNCF Réseau will thus need more power to run an ever-increasing number of trains. And superconductor cable technology will help provide the increased electrical power required to meet the needs of this growing rail traffic. The superconducting cables will make use of Montparnasse station’s infrastructure by installing the cables in existing conduits.

“Only a superconducting cable can combine a reduced diameter and exceptional power to deliver the performance required by SNCF Réseau: 5.3 MW per conduit, or 3,500 A to 1,500 VDC,” the release said. “This also enables our customer to save on substantial implementation costs related to infrastructure modification, avoid potential disruptions to rail and road traffic, and limit risks in terms of execution time and the commissioning date.”

The release observed that superconducting power cables offer unparalleled advantages as they have zero resistance, so they can transport electricity with minimal power loss and thus contribute to making the world more sustainable. “This project illustrates perfectly how their compact nature enables them to transport very high power through a limited space. A single superconducting cable can replace multiple copper cables. Also, it has a minimal footprint, making high-capacity 1,500 V connections possible, which in turn improves the safety of the stations’ power supply.”

7/3/2022 - Nexans has been awarded a contract worth more than 100 million euros to supply Enedis—a French distribution network company—with medium-voltage power distribution cables and services for the next four years.

A press release said that the contract includes an extended amount of EDR-MAX cables, most of which will be used to connect onshore wind and solar farms to the grid. These directly buried cables have demonstrated a reduced environmental impact and an improved total cost of ownership. The project combines technological innovation, environmental benefits, superior plant capability and digital services such as the full deployment of ULTRACKER: Nexans’ digital supply chain solution based on the Internet of Things, enhanced artificial intelligence and cloud services.

The release said that the new generation of Nexans eco-designed medium voltage cables (NF C 33-226) that could reduce carbon emissions up to 20% were a key to Enedis choosing Nexans. It noted that Nexans also allows the customer to buy and be delivered in a short circuit, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the cable supply. “Nexans technologies continue to allow us to help our partners with cable solutions, securing Nexans’ position in France as the supplier of choice and opening the door for additional projects in the future.”

Jérôme Bicail, director of the industrial sector division of Enedis, said that Nexans is seen as a “strategic” supplier in the cable sector. “We already share with Nexans our major challenges on CSR issues such as eco-design, commitments to reduce carbon emissions and recycling solutions. These innovations, combined with end-to-end quality control, allow us to secure capacity while ensuring product life cycle management.”

5/4/2022 -

Nexans has been awarded a contract worth around €100m by French grid operator RTE to supply and install cables for the 496 MW Le Treport offshore wind farm.

A press release said that the contract comprises 47 km of offshore and 18 km of onshore export cable for the wind farm, which is located more than 15.5 km from Le Tréport and 17 km from Dieppe.

The consortium Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Treport is developing the offshore wind farm. RTE has been appointed by the French government to connect the wind farm from the offshore substation to the onshore power grid by installing two subsea and onshore links.

For the subsea section, Nexans will supply two 23.5 km lengths of 225 kV three-core cable. The cable has hybrid armoring and incorporates a fiber-optic element to remotely monitor the health of the link and transmit information between the offshore wind farm and the onshore base.

Nexans’ Halden plant in Norway will manufacture the subsea cables, while the land cables will come from the Nexans plant in Charleroi, Belgium. The fiber-optic elements will be supplied from the Norwegian site in Rognan. The installation of the subsea cables should start in the second half of 2024.

The cables will be laid by the CS Skagerrak, one of Nexans’ two cable laying vessels. The onshore link will have 18 km of 225 kV single-core cable, similar to that supplied to RTE by Nexans under the current framework contract for onshore cables. Nexans will also be in charge of the cable burial and protection for the onshore section.

4/1/2022 - Nexans has won a contract with Ørsted and Eversource to supply the export cable link that will connect the Revolution Wind Farm in the U.S. to the onshore grid.

A press release said that the cable, mainly aluminum medium voltage, will be produced in collaboration with Nexans Indeco (Peru), in one of the Nexans Group plants in the Andean region. The conductor design was optimized based on the requirements of the project, which is located in the municipality of Taltal, Antofagasta Region. The first deliveries are planned for May 2022.

This will be Nexans’ first cable installation project in the U.S. as part of the frame agreement with Ørsted-Eversource. The Export Cable Framework Agreement, providing the opportunity to supply up to 1,000 km of high-voltage subsea cables in the U.S. by 2027, was signed in December 2019 between Orsted Wind Power North America LLC and Nexans to accelerate the energy transition in North America by bringing Nexans’ industry-leading subsea cable technology to the U.S. This contract is the first project to be delivered under this agreement.

The cable lay vessel Nexans Aurora will be used for the installation. Nexans notes that it is the first vessel of its kind in the offshore cable-laying sector.

Located more than 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, the 704 MW Revolution Wind Farm will address the energy needs of both states. “We are committed for the long term in the US offshore wind industry and look forward to pursuing our partnership with Ørsted and Eversource on this historic project,” said Ragnhild Katteland, executive vice president subsea and land systems for Nexans.

1/3/22 – Nexans has won a more than €80 million contract from Equinor, a Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company, to manufacture and install a power cable system that will deliver electricity directly from the Norwegian power grid to its Oseberg Field Centre.

A press release said that the cable system consists of a single three-core 132 kV AC cable with the capacity to transport and supply 180 MW to the main platform at Oseberg. The power cables will include two fiber optic cables, each fitted with 48 SM fiber optic elements. They will be connected to a central DTS system that allows operators to detect early warning signs of any technical issues in the cables. The cables will be manufactured at Nexans’ plant in Halden, Norway.

Nexans is Equinor’s long-term partner in renewable energy projects. Nexans cabling system will allow Oseberg to operate using renewable energy harnessed from hydropower and achieve about 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in those areas of the field.

Oseberg is located in the North Sea, around 140 km northwest of Bergen. The cable deployment will be done by the Nexans’ Aurora, which is designed to lay the cables in one compact installation. That method will save time and lower costs while also reducing the environmental impact of the operation due to smaller transport distances.

“Electrifying business operations in the energy sector plays an important part in reducing CO2 emissions and supporting the global transition to net zeros,” said Ragnhild Katteland, executive vice president for Nexans subsea and land systems business group.

Of note, last July Nexans was awarded an Equinor a contract to supply power export cable for what will be the world’s first floating solar plant that can operate in rough offshore waters.

12/6/21 – Nexans has opened the first North American plant that has the capacity to manufacture high-voltage subsea cables up to 525 kV HVDC and 400 kV HVAC.
A press release said that the site in Charleston, South Carolina, will provide the full range of products for export cables for offshore wind and subsea interconnectors. The first subsea high-voltage export cable will be delivered to an offshore windfarm in the U.K. beginning in 2022.
The Charleston plant is part of the comprehensive supply chain that is being developed to support offshore wind in the U.S. market. Energy companies such as Eversource, Ørsted and Equinor are among those whose projects are expected to accelerate the energy transition in the U.S. Nexans has signed a framework agreement with Eversource and Ørsted to supply the first U.S.-made subsea high voltage export cables for the projects, and preferred supplier agreement with Equinor for the turnkey projects Empire Wind 1 and 2.
Nexans estimates that it will be able to deliver up to 1,000 km of cables for Ørsted’s and Eversource offshore wind farms in North America up until 2027. Also, as the preferred supplier for Equinor’s Empire Wind, early engagement for Mayflower, Nexans is well positioned to support the U.S. with further energy transition projects.
“It’s an exciting time for the wind industry in the U.S. as we unleash the potential that offshore renewable energy offers,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. “Our purpose is to ‘electrify the future’ and our expanded facility allows us to do that by combining decades of experience in developing and manufacturing high voltage cables with the newly launched and the most technically advanced cable-laying vessel (CLV) Aurora. We are thrilled to contribute to the wind power revolution in the U.S. and beyond.”
Guérin said that the initiative helps efforts to create a more sustainable world and further electrification efforts, while helping the U.S. meet its goals for carbon neutrality. “We believe that offshore wind will be key to create a clean energy economy; helping to add jobs, stimulate the economy, all while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.”
Built in 2014 to serve the U.S. high-voltage transmission market, the Charleston plant expansion supports the rapidly growing U.S. offshore wind market. By the end of 2021, Nexans will have created 210 new jobs to support the industry development in South Carolina.

10/1/21 – Nexans announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement with Xignux SA of Mexico to acquire Centelsa, a premium cable maker in Latin America, for an undisclosed price.

A press release said that Centelsa, based in Colombia, produces cable for building and utilities applications. It was described as an “iconic world class cable maker,” with annual revenues of more than US$250 million and an enterprise value of US$225 million. The closing, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to take place in the first half of 2022.

The Centelsa acquisition “is fully aligned with (our) strategic ambition to become a pure electrification player,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. The addition will further contribute to Nexans’s ability to serve renewable projects in the Andean Region and enhance its capacity in building and energy distribution.

“This combination will be the stepstone to grow our best-in-class solutions and unique premium brand,” said Viakable-Centelsa CEO Sergio Valdes. “The Centelsa team has demonstrated, for more than six decades, professionalism in delivering high value to our customers. As a global player in energy transmission, Nexans is a great fit to lead the next phase of growth for Centelsa´s customers and employees. Jointly, there is a promising future ahead.”

Centelsa was cited as being the first cable manufacturer in Colombia. Per Centelsa’s website, the company’s origin traces back to 1955, when INCE Ltda (Industria Nacional de Conductores Eléctricos) started its operation in the city of Cali, manufacturing low-voltage cables as magnet wire for applications in motor winding. In 1961, Ceat General of Colombia S.A. was established through the merger with U.S.-based General Cable Corporation and Italy’s Ceat International. It expanded in 1980 with a second plant, then a third in 1993. In 1994, CENTELSA (Cables De Energia Y Telecomunicaciones S.A.) was formed by the merger of Ceat General De Colombia S.A., Facomec and Fadaltec S.A. In 2012, it became part of the Viakable, the cables division of Xignux, a Mexican industrial group.

Over the years, Centelsa won numerous awards and certifications. Today, it has a network of strategically located offices to cover the national and international market, thus offering an opportune service.