Prysmian Cables & Systems, in consortium with Siemens Transmission & Distribution Ltd, a contract worth 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 100 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 100 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.

This contract proves once more the validity of the know-how and the technologies developed by Prysmian in the fast growing renewable energy sector. The Group’s leading position in this high value-added field, reached in a short time, is also confirmed by other important projects in which Prysmian has been recently involved, such as the Greater Gabbard in UK (which, when completed in 2010, will supersede Thanet as the world’s largest offshore park), the Alpha Ventus offshore wind park in Germany, and Gunfleet Sands offshore wind park in UK. In 2008 Prysmian will increase by 50 percent the production capacity of its submarine cables specifically designed for the offshore wind parks.