Prysmian sets a milestone in the realization of new German hvdc power transmission line

Prysmian Group, worldwide leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has produced the first 20 kilometres of underground cable for the SuedOstLink, one of Germany's most important high-voltage direct current lines for transporting wind power from the north to consumers in Southern regions. The cables have been manufactured according to international standards and customer specifications of the Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT TSO GmbH. To verify this an enhanced factory acceptance test has successfully been performed. The first lots of cables – a total of 9 drums, each with 1,750 metres of underground cable and weighing 83 tonnes each are being transported to an intermediate storage area. Prysmian will produce a total of around 550 kilometres of underground cable for TenneT for an approximately 270 km long section of the SuedOstLink (starting at the Southern Germany connection point at Isar, close to Landshut in Bavaria). For this project two HVDC underground cables will be laid in one trench.

“We are proud to take part in this strategic project that supports energy transition in Europe” announces Prysmian Powerlink CCO Detlev Waimann, “The innovative P-laser cable technology together with Prysmian Group long lasting experience in the installation will allow higher sustainability and reduction of local community impact” he confirms.

P-laser cable technology allow 30% CO₂ emission reduction
Prysmian supports the energy transition in Germany with recyclable power cables. The P-Laser cable system allows a transmittable power of 2 GW on a single system. The ±525 kV HVDC underground cable system uses extruded cables at the highest voltage level. The copper cables, in combination with the innovative P-Laser insulation technology developed by Prysmian, enable particularly high transmittable power with minimal environmental impact. With a solid history in Medium Voltage application, this is a fully qualified high-performance insulation system that has evolved after rigorous testing and extensive trials. P-Laser is suited for the highest voltage levels delivering enhanced thermal performance and high intrinsic reliability that enable more flexible and sustainable solutions. At the same time, P-Laser is the first 100 % recyclable, environmentally friendly high-performance cable technology based on HPTE (High Performance Thermoplastic Elastomer). This technology does not require any post-treatment such as degassing, which shortens production time and cuts CO₂ emissions in production by 30 %.

Space-saving installation with high transmittable power
Prysmian's ±525 kV HVDC underground cable is a cable system designed with large conductor cross-sections for high transmittable power over long distances. Its particular advantage is minimised space consumption - the ±525 kV technology allows a reduced amount of cable to transmit the same power compared to 380 kV systems, for example. This means less construction effort is required when installing the system, among other things in the trench widths. The scope of delivery also includes an integrated PRY-CAM monitoring system for wireless recording and monitoring of the system status.

In addition to the SuedOstLink, Prysmian is also involved in the SuedLink and A-Nord power lines. In order to best support the three projects and the responsible transmission system operators, a multicultural project development and management team is available in offices in Bayreuth, Würzburg and Wuppertal. The team is led by Alberto Boffelli, COO Project BU and Heiko Dirks, Regional leader, Riccardo Fabbri Portfolio Leader and Francesco Gravame Project Director of SuedOstLink. Around 200 Prysmian Group employees are already involved with comprehensive preparations of the three important power transmission projects in the context of the energy transition in Germany and Europe. In Germany, Prysmian is the leading cable supplier for energy supply and telecommunications with approximately 1,900 employees, 6 manufacturing plants and 4 R&D centres.