Prysmian: Diving deep into cable

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Prysmian Group, renowned in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has been awarded a new contract, worth €125 million, for an interconnection between the island of Crete and mainland Greece (Peloponnese region). The project has been awarded by Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), which operates the transmission system for Greece’s power grid.

Set to be the first submarine electricity interconnection between the Greek island and the mainland, the project involves the design, supply, installation and commissioning of an HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) cable system composed of 150 kV three-core cables with XLPE insulation and double-wire armouring. The route extends to 135 km, reaching depth of installation up to 950 metres.

The submarine cables, to be produced at the plant in Arco Felice (Naples), will be installed at sea by the vessel Giulio Verne, which forms part of the Group’s proprietary fleet; proclaimed to be among the most technologically advanced in the world; delivery and commissioning of these are scheduled for 2020.

The Group says its role – which follows the contract signed in 2014 with IPTO for the submarine connection between the island of Syros (Cyclades) and the Lavrion energy transmission system, in the Greek mainland – demonstrates its commitment as a key player in submarine connections in Europe. The company say its role is further accentuated by its works in the Mediterranean area, where it was recently awarded a contract for two interconnections between the Cyclades islands of Evia, Andros and Tinos, also commissioned by IPTO.

In the Mediterranean region, the Group say it has a strong track record of important submarine connections, including Italy-Greece, Sardinia-Italian Peninsula (SA.PE.I), two interconnections between Spain and Morocco, two projects in the Balearic Islands (Iberian Peninsula-Mallorca and Ibiza-Mallorca), the Cyclades project in Greece, the Capri- Torre Annunziata and Capri-Sorrento connections in Italy and the Dardanelles link in Turkey.

The contract will be finalised within 2018, following the customary approvals from the authorities involved.