Prysmian wins €1.2 billion contract to deliver UK-Germany interconnector

Prysmian has won a contract worth around €1.2 billion to deliver the 725-kilometer NeuConnect interconnector that will directly link the German and UK electricity grids for the first time.

The Italian cabling giant will provide the turnkey design, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of the NeuConnect project.

The scope includes the complete cable system to be operated at ±525kV HVDC utilizing mass-impregnated (MI) paper insulated cables, and include fiber optic cables on the land and selected submarine sections, complemented with cable monitoring systems that shall support the monitoring, maintenance and services to be provided during the warranty period.

The subsea and onshore power cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s Arco Felice factory near Naples.

Offshore installation activities will involve three of the company’s cable-laying vessels (CLVs) including Leonardo da Vinci, Cable Enterprise, and Ulisse.

“When completed in the coming years, NeuConnect will join the world’s longest interconnectors,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects at Prysmian Group. “Moreover, it is one of the first interconnectors to be financed through a project financing arrangement, demonstrating that the major infrastructure projects needed to deliver the sustainable energy goals in Europe are supported by private investment.”

NeuConnect’s route will run between the UK converter station located on the Isle of Grain in Kent, passing through the UK, Dutch and German waters to the landing point in Lower Saxony in Germany to connect with the converter station near Wilhelmshaven.

The 1.4 GW interconnector is expected to help in delivering a more resilient supply for both countries as well as a net reduction in carbon emissions of 16 MtCO2 over 25 years to support German, UK and European net-zero goals.

The project is privately financed by a group of international investors that includes Meridiam, Allianz Capital Partners and Kansai Electric Power, and is contingent on the tendering of the converter station and financing agreements for the project.

Commissioning is scheduled for the second half of the decade.