Nexans has announced plans to invest €90 million to support the growth of offshore wind in Europe.
The investment will include the construction of a new, 53-meter tower for the insulation of onshore cables at Nexans’ plant in Charleroi, Belgium and will allow for the production of 3,000 mm2 525 kV HVDC onshore cables necessary to support TenneT’s three grid projects, BalWin 3, LanWin 4 and Lanwin 2 under the frame agreement signed last year.
The investment will also include upgrades to the cable manufacturing process, including a new stranding line and a degassing system designed for HVDC cables and an aluminum drawing line to increase aluminum wire production volume.
While the majority of the investment will be directed at upgrading its manufacturing plant in Charleroi, Nexans’ other facilities will also get a boost, including a new HVDC lab with a hall specifically built for 525kV HVDC testing at its Calais facility in France and a new injection press at its power accessories facility in collaboration with teams in Erembodegem, Belgium.
The investment will begin next year and run through 2026, when the work is slated for completion.
“We are pleased to announce this new investment reinforcing our position as a leader in the energy transition,” says Pascal Radue, EVP of Nexans’ Generation and Transmission Business Group.
“The ability to produce land cables up to 525kV is a game changing capability that will enable us to drive the transition forward for years to come. We are looking forward to completing this critical upgrade in our infrastructure to keep pace with the ever-increasing electricity demand globally.”
