Nexans to install subsea HVDC cables for Greek interconnection project

French group Nexans SA (EPA:NEX) will design, manufacture and install subsea a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system for the 1,000-MW Attica-Crete interconnection project in Greece.

The cables manufacturer was awarded the contract by project owner Ariadne Interconnection SPSA, a company fully owned by Independent Power Transmission Operator SA (IPTO), the local grid operator also known by its Greek acronym ADMIE.

The contract is worth more than EUR 220 million (USD 241.5m) and is part of the company's current EUR-1.6-billion order backlog for subsea cable projects, Nexans said.

The 335-kilometre subsea cable network will connect the Attica region in mainland Greece and the Herakleion area on the island of Crete, which currently relies on out-dated fossil-fuel plants. The interconnection will facilitate the exchange of electricity between the mainland and Crete and also help the island develop its own renewables.

Nexans will install one 500-MW HVDC cable system to form half of the 1,000-MW bipole interconnection. The 500,000-Volt mass impregnated non-draining (MIND) type of cable will integrate fiber optic elements for sensor applications.

Nexans will manufacture the cable at its plants in Norway and Japan. It will deploy dedicated cable vessels Nexans Skagerrak or new Nexans Aurora for the cable installation.

The company will complete its part of the project in 35 months, while the interconnection is planned to come online in 2023.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.098)

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