Prysmian Group was awarded the highest value cable project ever to be awarded which connects the Scottish and English power grids. The €800 million Western HVDC Link will set a record for voltage and is currently unmatched with its transmission capacity for long-haul systems of 2,200 MW. The transmission line will help connect renewable energy sources in Scotland to consumption centers in England.
The whole turnkey project will be executed by a consortium of Prysmian and Siemens who will be responsible for the HVDC converter stations. The interconnection, designed as a low loss High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system, will operate at the record voltage level of 600 kV, the highest ever reached by an insulated cable (to date the record is 500 kV) with a rating of 2,200 MW – both currently unmatched for long-haul systems.
With a route length in excess of 400 km the link includes a short land section in Scotland and a significant land portion in England-Wales; the submarine part will be installed in the Irish Sea. Offshore installation will be performed by Prysmian’s own cable ship Giulio Verne. The company has been taking part in the development of some of the most strategic submarine power interconnections worldwide, supporting the global upgrade of power grids for a better use of available resources with its state-of-the-art cable technology.
Prysmian is also committed to the promotion of large-scale initiatives like the “Friends of the Supergrid,” which hopes for the development of a Pan-European power grid and the Medgrid for the future submarine grid to bring renewable energy from North Africa to Europe.
Alternative Energy