THEWESTERN HVDC LINK, CONNECTING THE SCOTTISH AND THE ENGLISH POWER GRIDS, SETS A RECORD IN TERMS OF VOLTAGE (600 KV) AND HAS A CURRENTLY UNMATCHED TRANSMISSION CAPACITY FOR LONG-HAUL SYSTEMS OF 2200 MW
THE NEW STATE-OF-THE ART HVDC SUBMARINE CABLE LINK IS STRATEGIC FOR THE UK, ALLOWING POWER TRANSMISSION FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES IN SCOTLAND TO CONSUMPTION CENTERS IN ENGLAND
PRYSMIAN, WHICH WON THE CONTRACT IN CONSORTIUM WITH SIEMENS, RECONFIRMS ITS UNDISPUTED PROMINENT ROLE IN THE SUBMARINE CABLE SECTOR IN TERMS OF MARKET SHARE, TRACK RECORD, TECHNOLOGY AND KNOW-HOW Milan, February 16, 2012.
Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry, has been awarded a record contract worth approximately 800 million Euro, the highest value ever awarded in the cable business, for the development of Western HVDC Link, a new submarine High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector between Scotland and England. The whole turnkey project will be executed by a consortium of Prysmian and Siemens who will be responsible for the HVDC converter stations. Total value of the contract awarded to the Consortium by NGET/SPT Upgrades Ltd, a JV set up by the system operator National Grid Electricity Transmission and its Scottish counterpart Scottish Power Transmission, is around 1.1 billion Euro. Commissioning is scheduled by late 2015.
The Western HVDC Link interconnection is strategic for the upgrade of the entire British transmission grid, as the UK is heading towards a low carbon economy with a massive utilization of power from renewable sources. The project represents a milestone not only for its value but also in terms of technological features, setting new industry records. 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 2200 MW – both currently unmatched for long-haul systems. The main purpose of the cable link is to connect renewable generation sources in Scotland to the consumption centers in England, although it also allows bi-directional flow of power. The choice of a submarine cable link versus a land interconnection offers remarkable benefits in terms of project approval and execution time.
“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”.
