Prysmian Wins Major Submarine Cable Deal in the UAE
Italy-based Prysmian Group has won a €60 million contract to install submarine cables for the HVDC transmission system powering the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) Lightning Project in the United Arab Emirates.
This agreement follows Prysmian’s earlier €220 million supply contract secured in January. Samsung C&T awarded the new deal as part of its EPC consortium with Jan De Nul, with an option for a future installation phase. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
Advancing ADNOC’s Renewable Power Goals
Last September, ADNOC and TAQA reached financial closure on their $3.8 billion project aimed at powering and decarbonizing offshore production sites. With this initiative, ADNOC will replace offshore power generation with cleaner onshore electricity. As a result, the project will cut carbon emissions and shrink the company’s environmental footprint.
Prysmian’s Scope of Work
Prysmian will design, manufacture, assemble, and test a symmetrical monopole system for the Lightning Project. The system includes four HVDC 320 kV single-core cables with XLPE insulation and fiber optic links. These cables will connect the Al Mirfa onshore converter station to Al Ghallan, an artificial island in the Arabian Gulf off Abu Dhabi’s coast.
The project involves about 134 km of submarine HVDC cables and 3.5 km of onshore cables at Al Mirfa and Al Ghallan Island. Prysmian’s advanced vessel Leonardo da Vinci will handle offshore installation, while the barge Ulisse will manage shallow-water operations.
Strengthening the UAE’s Energy Transition
This partnership highlights the UAE’s commitment to cleaner energy and sustainable development. By expanding renewable power infrastructure, ADNOC and Prysmian are helping reduce oil production’s carbon intensity. Moreover, the project strengthens Abu Dhabi’s energy resilience and pushes its long-term decarbonization goals forward.
