7/3/2022 - Prysmian Group recently broke ground on a $50 million expansion project at its Marshall plant in Texas to support growth in the power distribution and transmission markets.

A press release said that the $50 million project, scheduled for completion in early summer of 2023, will see the plant expand to over a million sq ft and include capability upgrades. “As part of Prysmian’s original $100 million commitment made last October to upgrade plants across its North American footprint, this investment is helping to meet the need for infrastructure upgrades in the region and the growing demand for clean energy sources.”

Prysmian Group acquired General Cable in 2018 and expanded its North American footprint. The Marshall facility currently has more than 400 employees and will add 75 new positions including machine operators, logistics and skilled trades. “We have a strong team here in Marshall, and I’m looking forward to seeing it expand. This investment is the beginning of big things for our community,” said David Cooper, Marshall Plant Director. Marshall has started hiring for the open positions and plans to complete the process in the fall.

“The Marshall expansion is crucial in our commitment to develop the next generation power distribution and transmission grids that will support the energy transition in the U.S. and Canada,” said Andrea Pirondini, CEO of Prysmian Group North America. “This investment is another step towards transforming how our region distributes and transmits power throughout North America.

The Marshall facility is the Group’s largest plant in North America where the bulk of the region’s renewable energy products are manufactured, and the investment is crucial to enabling the energy transition and digital transformation across the region.

Prysmian has recently seen major project announcements, such as for the largest submarine cable contact in the U.S. from Dominion Energy, along with the Vineyard Offshore Wind Farm Project and the SOO Green Link Project to deliver high-voltage direct current underground transmission cables along existing railroad corridors.

5/4/2022 -

 Prysmian Group wins contract for Alaskan submarine fiber optic cable link project

The Prysmian Group reports that it has been awarded a contract from Alaska Power & Telephone Company (AP&T) to supply, install and test two submarine fiber optic cable links in southeast Alaska.

A press release said that the SEALink project, valued at nearly $20 million, is directed by AP&T’s subsidiary, AP&T Wireless (APTW). The goal is to improve

communications in southeast Alaska, bringing broadband to rural areas that are currently unserved. The SEALink project calls for a 214-mile submarine fiber optic cable from Alaska’s capital in Juneau to the Prince of Wales Island.

Under the terms of the turnkey contract, Prysmian will provide a 323-km MINISUB brand cable with 36 G.652.D FO. The cable will be produced at Prysmian’s Nordenham, Germany plant, one of the group’s three centers of excellence for submarine cable production. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2022, with provisional acceptance by end of 2022.The project is being managed by Projects BU.

“This is the second project with AP&T after the successful installation of the Lynn Channel Project in 2016,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group. “We are excited to be helping AP&T support the digital transition in these remote areas of Alaska.”

The project will bring high-speed broadband to the residents of Kasaan and Coffman Cove on Prince of Wales Island for the first time. It was made possible by a grant from the U.S. government’s Rural Utility Services. “We are honored to be entrusted with this prestigious contract by AP&T which underscores the trust and credibility our customers have for our products and capabilities on a worldwide basis,” said Ashutosh Bhargava, Global Business director Subsea Telecom of the Prysmian Group.

3/4/2022 –The Prysmian Group focus on speeding up innovation in the areas of ultra-rapid telecom networks and smarter, more sustainable power grids has been bolstered by financial support from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which has previously made available such funds.

A press release said that the EIB has finalized financing of €135 million intended to support the Group’s 2021-2024 R&D plans in Europe. That support is greatly appreciated as it will help the Prysmian Group’s R&D efforts. “Cable technology is a key enabler to face the challenges of digitalisation and energy transition,” said Srini Siripurapu, Chief R&D and Innovation
Officer Prysmian Group. The specific areas where the EIB support will make a difference include the following.

• Industrial research: research on innovative materials also involving the use of nanotechnologies, systems for the monitoring and management of land and submarine power grids and of low voltage power systems, new cables and materials for more sustainable solutions and hybrid energy and telecom cables.
• Innovation and experimentation: the use of alternative materials for cable design and product project optimisation, use of breakthrough technologies to execute cable jointing operations.
• New products development: submarine power transmission cable systems for installation at high depths; P-Laser Extra High Voltage land and submarine power transmission cable systems; dynamic cables for the offshore renewable energies sector; cable solutions for the e-mobility industry; high-performance optical fibres, cables for FTTH and FTTA applications, and connectivity; development of smart cable systems and sensing solutions for fault location, monitoring and management of power grids.
• Digital transformation and sustainability: development of machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions for enhanced quality in cable manufacturing process, and implementation of digital solutions for the management of operations from remote also through the use of IoT Industry 4.0 technologies and deployment of innovation data management software for a better on-going project portfolio management; development of data models for the continuous evaluation of sustainability impact of a Green IT Strategy and for the assessment of the sustainability of the product portfolio.

The new projects fulfill the goals set within Prysmian Group’s innovation roadmap and strategy, strongly oriented towards the support and promotion of digitalization and the energy transition.

Cable technology is a key enabler for electrical power transmission and distribution and for the development of telecommunications in Europe. Innovative solutions in these areas are a critical component to promote digitalization and the energy transition, thanks also to the expansion of 5G networks and the surge in renewable power installations, that could be interconnected via sustainable and innovative cable links.

The financing represents approximately 50% of the investments planned in Europe during the period concerned. Worldwide, Prysmian Group allocates approximately €100 million per year to R&D. This financing follows those already granted by the EIB to the Group in 2013 and in 2017, also in support of R&D in Europe, a sign of the trust that the company enjoys with the Bank.

“The agreement signed with Prysmian aims at developing technological innovations via cable based on sustainability criteria in order to reduce the consumption of raw materials, the generation of waste and CO2 emission,” said EIB Vice President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “Supporting the cabling sector helps to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion and to promote the energy and digital transition in Europe.”

3/4/2022 – The Prysmian Group has signed a new framework agreement with Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE), France’s Transmission System Operator, confirming its role as major partner of the French TSO in its plan of upgrading and developing national power girds.

A press release said that the Prysmian Group, which has been awarded with the largest share of the agreement, will be responsible for supplying, jointing and testing some High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) cable systems for underground grid connections from 90 kV up to 400 kV. The framework agreement will cover the period 2021-2023, with two potential optional additional years. To support the upgrade of France’s power grids, Prysmian Group will leverage its French centers of manufacturing excellence, located in Gron and Montereau.

These plants employ more than 1,400 people and are renowned for the production of high-voltage cables and P-Laser technology.
This framework agreement confirms Prysmian Group’s primary role in supplying RTE with HV cable systems, consolidates their long-term and successful relationship, and highlights once again RTE’s trust in Prysmian.

“We are proud to have the opportunity to play a key role in the upgrade of such a strategic infrastructure for our country, by making available our Made-in-France cable technology,” said Laurent Tardif, CEO of Prysmian Group South Europe Region. “Based on our long-term partnership, over the last years Prysmian has already provided RTE with innovative, efficient and sustainable power transmission cable solutions, both submarine and terrestrial,” concluded Tardif.

Prysmian Group’s projects include: Fécamp, Courseulles-sur-Mer, St. Nazaire and Noirmoutier offshore wind farms; the IFA2 submarine interconnection linking the UK and France; the Piedmont-Savoy HVDC underground interconnection between Italy and France; and the INELFE underground interconnection (Baixas – Santa Looggia), the first extruded 320 kV DC XLPE underground interconnection linking Spain and France.

1/4/2022 – Prysmian Group has been awarded a framework contract worth around €1.71 billion by Terna Rete Italia SpA (Terna), for the Tyrrhenian Link project, which includes the design, supply, submarine and land installation, and commissioning of a total of over 1,500 km of submarine cables to support the power exchange among Sardinia, Sicily and Campania, thus reinforcing the Mediterranean energy hub.

A press release said that the order from Terna, a unit of an Italian electricity grid operator (TSO), calls for the turn-key installation of one to three 500 kV HVDC links. Each 500-km link will use single-core cables with mass impregnated insulation. They will also have double wire armoring, an innovation recently developed by Prysmian Group.

Delivery and commissioning are expected in 2025-2028. Installation will be done by Prysmian’s new vessel, the Leonardo da Vinci, which will deploy the cable to a water depth of 2,000 meters, the deepest ever reached for a power cable. The ship, described as the world’s largest cable-laying vessel, entered into operations in August 2021.

The contract also includes an electrode system and an optical fiber cable for system monitoring, as well as land civil works and land-fall HDD (Horizontal Directional Drilling). The submarine and land cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s plant in Arco Felice (Naples).

“We are proud to have once again been chosen by Terna as a partner for this milestone infrastructure project, aimed at providing a more robust and sustainable national power grid,” stated Valerio Battista, Prysmian Group CEO. “We have proven to be able to offer the widest industry expertise, as well as technology and assets, to execute such an extensive and challenging project.”

The new 1,000 MW submarine link will help Italy reach its energy transition goals, enabling three regions to increase their solar and wind power exchange capacity generated locally. This will therefore support the development of renewable energy through better use of energy flows and a more efficient market.

“This contract adds to the other €2.3 billion projects already secured by Prysmian in 2021, thus further strengthening the Group’s ambition to become the strategic partner for developing power grids in support of the energy transition,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP project business, Prysmian Group.

12/6/21 – The Prysmian Group partnered up to win a U.S. submarine cable contract from Dominion Energy Virginia that represents both a major step forward for the U.S. offshore wind farm sector, and the first time that such a project has been awarded as a complete package known as a “Balance of Plant” (BoP) contract.
A press release said that to fill the cable order for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW)—a 2.6-gigawatt wind farm that will deploy 176 wind turbines that are taller than 800 feet—Prysmian teamed up with the DEME Group, a leader in the offshore wind industry. The DEME Group will provide everything beyond the approximately 880 km of cable that is part of the BoP contract. That includes the transportation and installation of the foundations and the substations and the EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation) services for the inter-array and export cables for the future largest commercial offshore windfarm in the United States.
The total value of the contract is approximately €1.6 billion, of which around €630 million is related to Prysmian for the cable supply and the installation works under its responsibility. Prysmian Group will provide three 3-core 220 kV HVAC export cables measuring approximately 62 km each, with XLPE insulation and single-wire armoring, for a total of approximately 560 km. The company will also supply 320 km of 3-core 66kV offshore inter-array cables with XLPE insulation.
The export cables will be produced in Arco Felice, Italy, and Pikkala, Finland, while the inter-array cables will be manufactured in Nordenham, Germany. The project is expected to be completed by 2026.
“Following the award of the Vineyard submarine offshore project and the SOO Green HVDC link, the Dominion Energy project represents a further confirmation of our major role in helping our customers meet their goals,” said Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista. He noted that the U.S. is important to Prysmian’s growth strategy, and the Biden administration’s commitment to development of infrastructure “is something really positive.”
“Dominion Energy decided to award the contract to the Prysmian-DEME consortium in light of their unique combination of financial strength, experiences, expertise, fleet and cable supply capabilities,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects, Prysmian Group.

12/6/21 – The Prysmian Group announced that it ranks first with 87 points in the ELQ Electrical Components & Equipments on the Dow Jones Sustainability World index, according to the result of the 2021 annual review conducted by S&P Global CSA.
A press release said that Prysmian is the only pure cable maker included in the sustainability index at global level that covers more than 5,300 companies. “Prysmian Group CEO Valerio Battista said that the designation “recognizes our commitment in constantly improve the sustainability of our operations, supply chain and organization. Sustainability is also integrated as a fundamental part of our business growth strategy. We are strongly committed to support the transition to renewable energy resources as well as to a digitalized and decarbonized world, by making available the most advanced cables and optical fiber technology for power grids and telecom networks.”
Prysmian achieved the best results (100 points) in the following categories: Innovation Management, Environmental Reporting, Social Reporting, Talent Attraction & Retention, Materiality, Risk & Crisis Management and Occupational Health & Safety. Prysmian Group’s targets for reducing emissions was also approved recently by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The company also reported that it has become the first company in the cables sector to join the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI), a non-profit coalition working to eliminate child labor and poor working conditions in mica supply chains.
A press release said that joining RMI is part of Prysmian’s Social Ambition targets and its commitment to improving the lives of people in the communities and local areas where it operates. “Prysmian Group uses a limited amount of mica in its products, in relation to the sector in which we operate,” said Prysmian Group Chief Operating Officer Massimo Battaini. “Our membership in the Responsible Mica Initiative is a step forward in ensuring the sustainability of our supply chain.”

11/2/21 – Prysmian Group has been given an extension of its partnership with Openreach, the U.K.’s largest digital network business, with a new three-year contract.

A press release said that the Prysmian Group will provide innovation and expertise to support Openreach’s updated Full Fibre broadband build plan, which is vital to the U.K.’s government achieving its target of delivering “gigabit capable broadband” to 85% of the U.K. by 2025. “This is as Openreach follows an extended investment commitment by its parent, BT Group meaning that it’ll now build Full Fibre technology to a total of 25 million premises, including more than six million in the hardest-to-serve parts.”

Marcello Del Brenna, CEO Prysmian Group UK, said that the company has been a partner with Openreach for more than a half century. The latest contract reflects the positive impact our working relationship has had on the U.K.’s digital networks infrastructure. The extension of our working relationship comes at a time when Prysmian is investing in telecommunications innovation to ensure our digital network partners have the cutting-edge solutions. We have also taken great steps forward with our sustainability effort, eliminating paper inclusions from our products and replacing them with digital solutions.”

Openreach Managing Director for Fibre and Network Delivery Matthew Hemmings said that building a new broadband network across the U.K. is a hugely complex, nationwide engineering project. “It will help level-up the U.K. because the impact of Full Fibre broadband stretches from increased economic prosperity and international competitiveness to higher employment and environmental benefits by enabling more home working and fewer commuting trips.”

In the framework of this renewed partnership, Openreach has recently undertaken a live trial using the double overblow installation method developed by Prysmian Group. This Karona installation technique enables the installation of high-density optical fiber cable into pre-existing sub-ducted routes, already containing legacy cable. The trial took place at Stonehaven in Scotland. The cable used for the trial was Sirocco HD 144f with 5.0 mm diameter, and the innovative installation method allowed to overblow 600 mts of cable in less than 4 hours, increasing the capacity of the route to 432f. This installation technique was repeated at Bury St Edmunds, where a route of 730 mts was successfully overblown in less than four hours.