Prysmian Cables & Systems, a worldwide group in the sector of cables and systems for energy and telecommunications, has been awarded, in consortium with Siemens Transmission & Distribution Ltd, a contract worth a total value of 87 million Euro to supply the electrical package for the new 300-MW Thanet offshore wind park, to be constructed in the North Sea. When completed, Thanet will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm project. Prysmian will develop the connections between the wind park’s one hundred turbines, as well as the high voltage submarine power links to the mainland British power grid. Prysmian’s share of the contract is worth around 36 million Euro; Siemens will supply the onshore substation and the offshore substation.

The Thanet offshore wind park, which is scheduled to be completed by October 2009, is located about 11 km off the coast of Kent. In particular Prysmian is involved in the design, supply, and installation of approximately 75 km of 33 kV submarine cables for the connections of the wind park’ s one hundred wind turbines, each rated at 3 MW, as well as 55 km of 132-kV cables for the transmission of electrical power generated to the mainland. The cables will be manufactured at the Prysmian submarine cables factory based in Arco Felice, Italy, and will be delivered in March 2009.

In 2008 Prysmian will increase by 50 per cent the production capacity of its submarine cables specifically designed for the offshore wind parks, in order to further strengthen its competitive position in the Renewable Energy sector and to meet the demands of its strong order book.