Prysmian signs agreement worth around 1.1 billion euros with 50Hertz for the NOR-11-1 submarine cable project and the DC31 underground cable project in Germany
Prysmian confirms its strategic role as a pioneer of the energy transition and continues to expand its presence in the European market.
On September 29, 2023, Prysmian PowerLink s.r.l., a part of the Prysmian Group and a global leader in the energy and telecommunications cables and systems sector, secured new contracts worth approximately 1.1 billion euros from the German transmission system operator, 50Hertz. Under the 50Hertz tender for the production and installation of sea and land cables, Prysmian was awarded Lot 2, encompassing Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) contracts for the NOR-11-1 marine cable and DC31 land projects, as well as Lot 7.
This projects play a significant role in Germany's overall goal to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 70 GW for offshore wind power by 2045. Their main purpose is to efficiently transmit the energy generated in the North Sea and supply it to consumers in the eastern and southern regions of Germany. This step marks a significant progress towards the implementation of renewable energy sources and supports the country's transition to more sustainable energy generation and distribution as part of its energy transition.
As part of Lot 2, Prysmian will be responsible for the planning, manufacturing, delivery, installation, testing, and commissioning of the turnkey projects NOR-11-1 and DC31, with a total cable length of around 1,000 km. NOR-11-1 is a 525 kV HVDC submarine cable project with a power transmission capacity of 2 GW, involving both submarine and underground cables along the planned route, connecting the offshore wind farm area N-11-1 to the German grid in the Heide/West region. The second project within Lot 2, DC31, is a 525 kV HVDC underground cable project intended to transmit power from the Heide/West area to Klein Rogahn.
The 525 kV HVDC cable systems (HVDC = High-Voltage Direct Current) will consist of two single-core copper cables with XLPE insulation, a special XLPE Metallic Return (DMR) cable, and a fiber optic cable. The submarine cables will be manufactured in Pikkala (Finland) and Arco Felice (Italy), while the underwater fiber optic cables will be produced in Nordenham. The underground power cables for project DC31 and the land cables for project NOR-11-1 will be manufactured in France.
Furthermore, Prysmian has been selected as the first-ranked supplier for Lot 7. The framework agreement allows 50Hertz to commission future 525 kV offshore and/or onshore projects with a total cable length volume of up to 2,700 km within an agreed-upon timeframe.
Prysmian will utilize its fleet of state-of-the-art cable laying vessels to carry out the offshore cable laying operations.
"We are excited to collaborate with 50Hertz on these significant projects and strengthen our partnership. With our solutions and expertise, we contribute to Germany's energy transition, supporting the growing use of green energy in Germany and globally," commented H. Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group.
"This long-term contract solidifies the relationship between Prysmian and 50Hertz, reaffirming our commitment to supporting our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of cable systems," said Detlev Waimann, Chief Commercial Officer of Prysmian Power Link, Prysmian Group.