Italy’s Prysmian Group has successfully commissioned the inter-array cable system for the Fécamp offshore wind farm, located in the English Channel, some 24 km off the French coast, in Normandy (Seine Maritime department).

A press release said that the Fécamp offshore wind farm is comprised of 71 wind turbines, has a total design capacity of nearly 500 MW. Prysmian secured the project in 2020 with a contract awarded by EDF Renewables and its partners.

“This important project marks a further significant milestone for the Group, being one of the first large-scale offshore wind farms located in France, in which the Group has full EPCI responsibility for the inter-array supply and installation contract,” said Alberto Boffelli, COO of Projects BU, Prysmian Group. A one-stop-shop service provider, Prysmian was responsible for the design, manufacture, installation, burial, termination and testing of a total of 118 km of 33 kV submarine cables with 630 mm2 cross-sections and both aluminum and copper cores to connect the 71 wind turbines that each has capacity of 7 MW to the offshore substation.

This contract confirms the trust and confidence that EDF Renewables and its partners place in Prysmian, having already awarded the Group other projects such as those for the St. Nazaire and Calvados offshore wind farms.

Prysmian Group reports that its sustainability leadership was confirmed once again in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) after the annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices performed by S&P Global through its prestigious Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

A press release said that in the 2023 edition, Prysmian ranked with top score in the ELQ Electrical Components & Equipment (ELC) sector, reaching excellence (100 points) in the environmental areas of Emissions, Resource Efficiency and Circularity, Waste, and Water, reaffirming its focus and attention on these topics.

Prysmian Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Group IR Vice President Maria Cristina Bifulco said that the results confirm the company’s commitment to sustainability as well as its role as a technological enabler of the energy transition and the digital transformation. “As a leader in our industry, we also feel responsible to promote impactful ESG initiatives across the value chain and beyond, adopting policies, taking actions and setting targets that are designed to create shared value for all our stakeholders.

Prysmian notes that sustainability is a key driver, fully integrated in the Group’s long-term vision and defined strategy underpinned by measurable KPIs that constitute its climate and social ambitions for 2030. Prysmian upgraded its intermediate sustainability KPIs for 2025-2027 and confirmed its Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero target for 2035 and its Scope 3 Net Zero target for 2050.

Prysmian plans to add two cutting-edge cable-laying vessels to further expand its cable-laying vessel fleet to support the company’s ability to ship and deliver the energy-demand capacity needs.

A press release said that the investment of approximately €350 million for the two new vessels will reinforce Prysmian’s submarine project execution capabilities. “The market is tremendously growing, and we are facing an increasing demand for submarine cable systems for interconnections and offshore wind farm projects both in Europe and in the U.S.,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group.

The first vessel will be an evolution of the Monna Lisa class, with a length of about 185 m and a breadth of about 34 m. Its advanced cable installation solutions will include three carousels with total capacity of 19,000 metric tons, among the highest cable-loading capacity vessels in the market. A bollard pull in excess of 180 metric tons will allow the vessel to perform complex installation operations of simultaneous cable lay and burial (up to four cables) with a variety of ploughs. It will have state-of-the-art DP3 positioning and seakeeping systems and will be operational by the beginning of 2027. It will be built by the VARD Group (a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group), one of the world leaders in the design and construction of specialized vessels for the offshore market.

The other vessel will be the evolution of the Ulisse class, with a length of about 167 m and width of about 40 m. It will have two carousels—one split in two concentric sections—for a total cable loading capacity of 10,000 m tons. The ship will have DP2 positioning and seakeeping systems and an eight-point mooring system will enable the ship to work in shallow-water cable laying and burial installation, even in harsh environmental conditions. The vessel will be operational by the first half of 2025.

Both vessels will have outstanding green credentials: they will be equipped with high-voltage shore connection systems to power them with clean energy during loading operations, diesel generators suitable for biodiesel blends and battery hybrid systems only for the deep-water-vessel, due to its specific activity.

The Prysmian Group has signed an agreement worth approximately $952.8 million with Clean Path New York to provide submarine and land power cable systems for one of the largest transmission infrastructure projects in the United States.

A press release said that Clean Path New York is an $11 billion renewable energy project comprising 3,800 MW of wind and solar power from more than 20 new wind and solar generation resources and a new 175-mile, underground and submarine transmission link. These assets will be able to deliver more than 7.5 million megawatt-hours of emissions-free energy every year—enough to power more than 1.5 million New York households.

Clean Path New York is a public-private collaboration between Invenergy, energyRe, and the New York Power Authority. The Prysmian Group will be responsible for the design, manufacture, construction, installation, and commissioning of Clean Path New York’s high-voltage DC current) 400 KV single core cable system with XLPE insulation, conditional upon Clean Path New York issuing its notice to proceed in Spring 2024.

“We are proud to support Clean Path New York in meeting New York State’s ambitious climate goals to be 70% carbon-free by 2030,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group. “Clean Path New York is one of the largest transmission infrastructure projects to be executed in New York State and is one the first 400 kV HVDC interconnectors to be built by Prysmian around the world. This agreement reinforces Prysmian Group’s leading position in the submarine and land cable market and underlines both our continued role in and our commitment to the North American energy transition.”

Earlier this year, the Prysmian Group announced the launch at global level of a new Parental Policy, consisting of concrete measures to support new parents for optimal management of their work-life balance in the new chapter of their lives.  

 The main features of the new global Parental Policy include the raising of the minimum parental leave for mothers and for primary caregivers from 12 to 16 weeks at full salary, and the introduction of a two-week minimum standard parental leave for fathers and secondary caregivers at full salary. To support parenthood, Prysmian is committed to providing in all countries in which it operates a new child benefit (also called “baby bonus”) as a family support measure granted and disbursed to new parents — whether biological or adoptive, members of a couple or single parents — for each child.  

 Moreover, Prysmian will reinforce the “Leave and Back to Work Programme”— a support programme for all mothers and for primary caregivers that begins as they approach parental leave and extends into their first few months back at work, so as to guarantee a gradual and successful return. Each new mother will be supported through a dedicated training, mentoring, and counselling programme.  

Through this new Parental Policy, Prysmian Group aims to set a minimum global standard, focusing on aspects such as wellbeing and inclusion in all the countries where it operates, thus allowing its employees to enjoy the same opportunities and minimum benefits. The policy is highly appreciated by people throughout the Group, particularly in the United States where Prysmian has a strategic footprint and operates with more than 6,000 employees. 

 “Prysmian Group has always focused closely on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in order to ensure a correct work-life balance for all its employees. In keeping with this approach, Prysmian Group is committed to supporting new parents, recognising the great value of parenthood,” stated Fabrizio Rutschmann, Chief HR Officer at Prysmian Group. “Our aim is to make all of our employees feel free to have children and consider this option as an extraordinary opportunity. To this end, we provide concrete help to all those who want to become parents. This is also aimed to support the birth rate, as it has reached record low levels in in many countries where Prysmian operates”.  

The Prysmian Group has signed an agreement worth approximately $952.8 million with Clean Path New York to provide submarine and land power cable systems for one of the largest transmission infrastructure projects in the United States.

A press release said that Clean Path New York is an $11 billion renewable energy project comprising 3,800 MW of wind and solar power from more than 20 new wind and solar generation resources and a new 175-mile, underground and submarine transmission link. These assets will be able to deliver more than 7.5 million megawatt-hours of emissions-free energy every year—enough to power more than 1.5 million New York households.

Clean Path New York is a public-private collaboration between Invenergy, energyRe, and the New York Power Authority. The Prysmian Group will be responsible for the design, manufacture, construction, installation, and commissioning of Clean Path New York’s high-voltage DC current) 400 KV single core cable system with XLPE insulation, conditional upon Clean Path New York issuing its notice to proceed in Spring 2024.

“We are proud to support Clean Path New York in meeting New York State’s ambitious climate goals to be 70% carbon-free by 2030,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group. “Clean Path New York is one of the largest transmission infrastructure projects to be executed in New York State and is one the first 400 kV HVDC interconnectors to be built by Prysmian around the world. This agreement reinforces Prysmian Group’s leading position in the submarine and land cable market and underlines both our continued role in and our commitment to the North American energy transition.”

The Prysmian Group is investing approximately €120 million in its strategic plant in Pikkala, Finland, that produces high-tech cables for land and submarine interconnections and for both onshore and offshore wind farms all over the world.

A press release said that the investment—in addition to the €100 million already provided in 2022—is aimed at further increasing the production capacity of the 525 kV HVDC submarine cable systems, supporting the growing market demand driven by the need to develop and upgrade power transmission grids for the energy transition. It calls for new Vertical Continuous Vulcanization (VCV) lines that will more than double the Pikkala plant’s existing production capacity of 525 kV extruded submarine cables and 400 kV AC cables by 2026.

“The investment is part of the around €500 million capex per year that the Group is implementing to support the energy transition, electrification and digitalization processes, which require the upgrade of power grids and telecom networks,” said Prysmian Group COO Massimo Battaini. He noted that the massive investment plan was made possible thanks to the Group’s financial solidity and proven cash generation capability.

The release said that the global power transmission cable market is expected to grow to €15 billion by 2030 from around €8 billion reported in 2022.

“Our global strategy is to rely on three state-of-the-art power transmission cable hubs: one in Northern Europe, thanks to the increasing investments in the Pikkala plant in Finland, another one in the Mediterranean area, where we are investing around €100 million in the existing plant in Arco Felice, Italy, and the third one is the completely new submarine cable plant in the U.S., Massachusetts, serving the very high potential North American market,” said EVP Projects BU Hakan Ozmen. “This will allow us to support our customers’ needs, while also continuing to pursue our own climate change commitments,” commented Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU.

The release said that Prysmian’s 525 kV submarine cable technology is specifically designed to support the energy transition thanks to its key features that enable a massive increase in transmission capacity to 2 GW, which is more than double the value achieved with the 320 kV DC systems currently in service.

“This investment confirms the strategic importance of the Pikkala plant, which is already considered the Group’s energy transition flagship factory,” said Prysmian Group Finland CEO Ferdinando Quartuccio. “Thanks to its switch to green energy sources, this plant is to date the first cable plant in the world to have achieved the net-zero goal.”

LS Cable & System announced in Korea IT Times that it has signed an MOU with the Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI) for cooperation in next-generation optical communication technology for advanced communication systems such as 5G and 6G. The two companies plan to expand optical communication technology cooperation and human exchange, starting with the development of multi-core optical fiber. “Multicore optical fiber is so difficult that only a few European and Japanese companies have succeeded in developing it. ... We have an ability to overcome the technical challenges associated with multi-core optical fiber development.”

... Southwire’s President and CEO Rich Stinson added to his long string of industry accolades, being named the 2023 Most Respected Business Leader by Georgia Trend!, a monthly magazine covering business and finance in Georgia. The publication did a lengthy piece outlining the company’s accomplishments under his leadership, both financially as well as its approach to sustainability and employee diversity.

... Chroma Color Corporation announced that it was recently awarded a Silver rating from EcoVadis for 2023. “After receiving the Bronze award last year ... we implemented programs to become more cognizant of the use of our resources such as reduction of water usage, improving air quality, reuse of scrap materials, and reduction of electricity usage. We will continue to identify additional areas where we can reduce our carbon footprint and become more socially mindful and responsible as it is the right and good thing to do for all of us and our future,” said Chroma Color’s Corporate Quality & Regulatory Manager Jennifer Presnell.

... SIKORA AG reports that it was named a “Germany’s innovation leader 2023” by the F.A.Z.-Institut, which analyzes worldwide patent applications from over 500 technology and knowledge areas. It evaluates the number of patents submitted in the last 10 years and their relevance. Last year, SIKORA, which annually invests about 10% of its revenue in R&D, was named an innovation leader for “Measuring, testing.” It was cited again in 2023, for the category for “Processing of plastics.”

... The Prysmian Group announced the availability of its Lifeline® RC90 fire resistive cables in Canada. The cables officially received its ULC-S139 listing and meet all the requirements of the Canadian National Building and Electrical Safety Codes and is now available for immediate implementation across the country within a variety of industries, including healthcare facilities, transportation networks and more