ABB to power NKT’s Swedish high-voltage offshore cable factory

Denmark-headquartered power cable manufacturer and installation firm NKT has appointed ABB to electrify its high-voltage submarine power cable factory in Karlskrona, Sweden.

To remind, on the back of a record order backlog and strong market outlook, NKT announced investments in a new cable-laying vessel (CLV), as well as in a new high-voltage factory on the existing site in Karlskrona, in May 2023, with both assets expected operational from 2027.

It was reported on November 5 that the new cable extrusion tower in Karlskrona had reached its full height of 200 meters, becoming the second tallest tower in the Nordics.

ABB Distribution Solutions will supply the factory and the extrusion tower with electrical power in a comprehensive turnkey solution including UniGear ZS1.

According to NKT, the production plant will be supplied with 100% renewable electricity and the electricity infrastructure will be placed in two new distribution stations.

ABB will deliver 90 UniGear ZS1 switchgear panels and peripheral equipment such as busbar packs, cross-connection cabinets and 110 V DC LS systems with batteries. The scope also includes plant design, project management, installation, testing and commissioning of the equipment.

In the tower, power cables hang in a vertical position while its insulation system is applied and ensuring uninterrupted power is therefore a top priority as production will be running around the clock, NKT noted.

“The ongoing investment in the factory creates the opportunity to annually produce the cables required to connect up to ten average offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 20 GW – enough to supply approximately 15-20 million homes,” said Darren Fennell, Executive Vice President and Head of HV Solutions Karlskrona at NKT.

“ABB can deliver a solution that meets our requirements for high availability. The company has supplied the power supply to our existing plant and as we now expand, we choose to continue a collaboration that works well with a partner that has reliable, high-quality equipment.”

Swedish construction company Skanska just signed a SEK 1.2 billion (approximately $109 million) contract with NKT for the next stage of the cable factory expansion in Karlskrona, which encompasses phase two of the construction and installation works, focusing on the tower building and associated side structures.

This follows an earlier SEK 700 million contract for the first phase of construction works, signed in July 2024, with an expected completion in 2025.