Nexans Swissgrid Geneva Underground Cables Project
Nexansย won a contract fromย Swissgrid, Switzerlandโs national grid operator, toย supply and install 30 km of very-high-voltage (VHV) underground cablesย along the south side of the Geneva-Cointrin Airport. The project replaces existing overhead power lines between the Foretaille and Renfil substations with 220 kV underground cables. This upgrade improves grid reliability and also reduces visual and land-use impact in a busy urban corridor.
The โฌ25 million turnkey contract goes beyond cable delivery. Nexans will install two 144โstrand fiber optic links, and it will also embed a temperature monitoring system in the cable network. As a result, Swissgrid can track cable performance more closely, optimize loading, and increase operational safety.
Strategic Context and Project Complexity
This Swissgrid project forms part of the โAxe Stratรฉgique Rรฉseauโ grid development programs in the canton of Geneva. At the same time, it supports the Federal Roads Officeโs โRedevelopment of the GrandโSaconnex motorway junction.โ Because these initiatives overlap, the undergrounding work is both technically and organizationally complex.
Nexans will handle key engineering services on the project. The scope includes dismantling and replacing an existing gasโinsulated extraโhighโvoltage link (GIL) and coordinating civil works with other infrastructure activities around the airport and motorway junction.
Nexansโ Track Record in Swiss VHV Projects
Marco Spinelli, CEO of Nexans Switzerland, welcomed the chance to continue collaborating with Swissgrid on this demanding project. He emphasized that Nexans teams will support every phaseโfrom engineering and civil works to the production and installation of veryโhighโvoltage networks.
Nexans already has strong experience with complex VHV cable projects in Switzerland. The company helped connect the Nant de Drance pumped storage plant to the grid in 2018 and completed the LinthโLimmern connection in 2016. More recently, it delivered the underground cable link between La Bรขtiaz and Le Verney in 2022. These projects show Nexansโ ability to deliver reliable grid connections in challenging environments.
