Market drivers

Global demand for energy is growing by more than a third over the period to 2035 (IEA World Energy Outlook, 2012). This has great significance for the distribution of power through the development of greater subsea power cables.

Subsea power cables are used for transmission of electricity to islands, fjords and coastlines. Maritime conditions can be rough and sets high quality requirements for the products. Nexans delivers this type of cable systems for all voltages from 1 kV up to 525 kV. Through our 100 years of history as cable manufacturer we have demonstrated the durability of our solutions.

Nexans' answers

Construction of subsea power cable systems integrates various technical disciplines such as electrical engineering, mechanics, maritime disciplines, underwater technology, hydrology, seabed geology, etc.

Nexans has expertise covering all aspects related to the AC and DC subsea cable systems. Our engineers covers all stages of a project, from research and development, through the quotation engineering to manufacturing, testing, installation and eventual maintenance.

Nexans subsea power cable systems, HVAC / HVDC, is designed to withstand high mechanical stresses during laying and operating, especially when the cable system is to be installed at deep waters. Strict requirements for reliability, presupposes solutions that are based on long operating experience and extensive testing in the form of mechanical and electrical tests. We deliver complete solutions combining fiber and power in one cable.

In addition to conventional subsea cable projects, Nexans also supplies systems for transmission of power and telecommunications to offshore installations. Such solutions reduce the need for power generation on the platform, which in turn results in reduction of space requirements, reduced staffing needs and reduced CO2 emissions. This concept was first used at the Troll platform in the North Sea in 1995: A 67 km long 3-conductor 52 kV XLPE insulated subsea power cable including a fiber-optic element.

High voltage (HV) laboratory
Nexans HV laboratory meets all international requirements for electrical testing of transmission systems, with voltages up to 750 kV AC and DC.
Our HV laboratory includes a variety of opportunities for qualification, verification and routine testing, as impulse generator, DC generator and AC serial resonance reactor system, capacitive voltage divider, traction and bending test machine, dynamic testing, mechanical load test and caterpillar test.