NKT reports that the company is ready to design, produce and install a 1 kV cable using low-carbon aluminum and polyolefins in the Swedish power grid.

A press release said that the initiative will reduce the carbon footprint of the power cable significantly and is part of NKT’s ambition to become a net-zero emissions company. The cable has been developed in close cooperation with the Swedish power grid company Ellevio, which will also be the first customer to use it. Below, NKT spells out how the cable will achieve that goal.

The conductor is made from Hydro REDUXA low-carbon aluminum with 4.0 kg CO2e per kg of aluminum, less than a quarter of the global average. For insulation and jacketing, the company is using Bornewables™ material from Borealis that has -0.5 kg CO2 eq/kg. per kg of polyethylene (PE), which represents a reduction of at least 130% compared to conventional fossil-based polyethylene. Finally, the cable will be made with lean production processes that use 100% renewable electricity.

The cables will be manufactured with low-carbon aluminum and polyolefins at the NKT factory in Falun, Sweden, which is running on 100% renewable electricity. For NKT, the project is yet another important step in reducing the carbon footprint of its power cable solutions after also having announced the production of the world’s first HVDC power cable using low-carbon copper.

“This is a game changer in the development of an energy infrastructure built with innovative, low-carbon solutions,” said NKT Executive Vice President and Head of Applications Will Hendrikx. “We see a growing market demand for more environmentally friendly products and solutions and are proud to be among the first to deliver an innovative low voltage cable after a close collaboration with our customers and suppliers.”

Karolina Viksten, sustainability manager at Ellevio, said that cables and overhead lines account for some 60% of their emissions, and this new cable will be a big help.