6/2/2022 -

NKT reports that it has completed connecting the power cable system that links the Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm to shore in what will be, when fully operational later this year, the world’s largest such energy producer.

A press release said that the Hornsea 2 system, which has capacity of 1.3 GW, required 196 km of 220 kV HVAC. Located 89 km off the English east coast, the wind farm has 165 8 MW turbines. The site was described as “a key to the transition to renewable energy in the U.K.,” designed to provide power to more than 1.3 million households when fully operational. The Hornsea claim to the world’s largest operating offshore wind
farm, will see it take the title from the current holder, Hornsea 1.

The power cables for Hornsea 2 were manufactured at the NKT factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, which runs on 100% green electricity minimizing the carbon footprint of the cable system. As part of the environmental focus of the operation, the installation of the submarine power cable systems was completed by NKT Victoria. The company will install the remaining turbines and continue testing, commissioning, and energizing Hornsea 2.

NKT has extensive experience in connecting offshore wind parks to the U.K. mainland including commissioned projects such as Hornsea 1, Moray East and the Walney Extension. Currently, NKT is involved in ongoing offshore wind projects such as the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, which will be the first offshore wind farm in the U.K. to be connected to shore with a HVDC power cable link.

6/2/2022 -

Japan’s Furukawa Electric has won a contract from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to deliver cable for a subsea power transmission project.

A press release said that the order is worth approximately €33 million. Furukawa Electric will supply 230 kV AC XLPE-insulated 1600 mm² triple-core submarine cable— which it notes is the world’s-largest conductor size class submarine cable—and cable temperature and load monitoring system. Delivery and completion of the cable system are scheduled for 2023.

The power transmission project will connect the Cebu Substation and Lapulapu Substation in Visayas. The new submarine power transmission will reinforce power transmission capacity and maintain the continuous transmission of power towards the major load centers in Mandaue and Mactan even during an N-1 contingency condition.

6/2/2022 -

The Prysmian Group will partner with Telstra, Australia’s largest telecom company, to build a new intercapital dual fiber path network in the country, a project that will require up to 20,000 km of optical fiber terrestrial cable.

A press release said that the national fiber network project, a multi-year project, will see Telstra build a new “state-of-the-art inter-city dual fiber path” to boost inter-capital capacity, as well as capacity for regional areas.

Prysmian and Telstra InfraCo undertook the development of a leading-edge optical cable system, leveraging Prysmian’s local R&D Lab. The Group invested to develop the next generation of high-strength, low-loss optical cable that has a highly ruggedized design, made for direct ploughing enabling long-distance deployment in harsh local conditions. The state-of-the-art cable design is combined with Prysmian’s BendBright^® G.657.A2 Low Loss fiber technology. The cable has been developed to Australia’s unique environmental conditions and will be designed and manufactured locally at Prysmian’s factory on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Prysmian will support this project through local production of the optical cables in Dee Why, Sydney, which will boost jobs and investment in local high-tech manufacturing. The Group is investing to upgrade the plant’s capacity and capability. The deployment includes up to 20,000 kms of dual high strength optical cables combined with upgrade of the network within the Metro cities.

 “There is an ever-growing demand for greater fiber capacity, enabling massive bandwidth and ultrafast data rates with lower latency,” said Philippe Vanhille, executive vice president of the Telecom Division at Prysmian Group.

6/2/2022 -

U.S.-based Clearfield, which specializes in fiber management and connectivity platforms for communication service providers, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Finnish company Nestor Cables, a leading developer and manufacturer of fiber optic cable solutions.

A press release said that the pending acquisition follows a long-standing, synergistic relationship between Clearfield and Nestor, who have worked together for over a decade. Founded in 2007 in Oulu, Finland, Nestor’s product portfolio includes fiber optic cables, connectivity accessories for fiber optic networks and instrumentation, and the Nestor Optimus product family for microduct networks. Nestor offers complete solutions for fiber optic networks, including FTTH and FTTP.

Nestor has a strong market position in Finland as a supplier of optical fiber cabling. The company also exports many of its products to the European continent, accounting for approximately 30% of its annual revenues. In 2021, Nestor generated EUR €31.7 million in revenue under Finnish Accounting Standards

Nestor operates two production facilities and has customers in more than 50 countries. Since 2012, Nestor has supplied fiber optic cables for Clearfield. The strategic acquisition will enable Clearfield to vertically integrate the supply of its fiber optic cables to meet future customer demand. It also makes it possible for Clearfield to leverage Nestor’s deep technical expertise.

The deal will also enable Clearfield to extend the available supply of FieldShield fiber into the North American market. Clearfield expects to open optical fiber production in its Mexico facility and begin production of optical cable in North America in early calendar year 2023.