NKT announced that it is part of a group effort to develop the prototype for what will be the world’s longest superconducting power cable. The project, first announced in 2019, seeks to develop and supply a record-length superconducting cable for use in Munich, Germany.

A press release from NKT said that Stadtwerke München Infrastrukur has now started the first stage development of the project. Called the “SuperLink,” the proposed 12-km-long underground power link would be the longest superconducting power cable solution in the world. It said that the ambitious project, which has seven partners, is an important indication about the future potential of superconducting power cables. The other partners are Linde plc, THEVA, the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

“We are proud to take part in the early stages of the development,” said NKT Chief Technology Officer Anders Jensen. He noted that SWM and Link where Stadtwerke München and Stadtwerke München Infrastruktur are taking a significant step to leverage superconducting power cables. “It is important to continue to develop solutions to support the transition to renewable energy and the ambitions of the German Energiewende. In NKT, we see superconducting power cables as a part of the future to ensure optimized access to clean energy in larger cities such as Munich.”

The design of the superconducting power cables is extremely compact compared to conventional cable technology and can become a key enabler of the transition to renewable energy in urban areas due to the high power-to-size ratio. The SuperLink is expected to have a power rating of 500 MW and will be installed between two substations in Munich using existing ducts to keep the construction work at a minimum.

A fact sheet also noted that SuperLink will have a power rating of 500 MW and a voltage level of 110 kV; that the plan is to install it in existing ducts; the superconducting cable will be cooled to minus 200ºC in a closed circuit with the environmental harmless refrigerant nitrogen; and it will have a cooling system with redundant back-up coolers.

“With 1.5 million residents, Munich is a great city to develop and live-test the possibilities of superconducting power cables to expand the power grids in urban areas that will be an integral part of the system,” the release said.

Nexans’ new Cable Laying Vessel, the CLV Nexans Aurora, is one step closer to completion, with the launching of the vessel being built by Norway shipbuilder Ulstein Verft.

A press release said that the 149.9-m long and 31-m wide vessel will be working in the offshore renewables market, installing subsea cables including cables connecting offshore wind farms to the grid and interconnector systems. The hull arrived at Ulstein Verft in June, and was positioned in the roofed and controlled environment of the yard’s dock hall. During this period, various work tasks have been accomplished, including electrical installations, insulation work, installation of the remaining main equipment and cable lay equipment, etc.

The vessel will be positioned quayside at Ulstein Verft, where it will enter the last outfitting and start-up commissioning phases. The vessel boasts a concentric, split basket 10,000Te carousel, dual cable lay capabilities, utilization of separate Capstan or Tensioner firing lines, and should be able to complete operations in severe weather conditions.

The release said that the Aurora will be “the flagship in the Nexans fleet.” The vessel’s first assignment will be for the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm off Scotland, starting in Q3 2021.

The vessel was developed in conjunction with Nexans, Skipsteknisk (ship design), Ulstein Verft (engineering and fitting), and MAATS Tech (cable installation equipment), each specialists in their fields, to produce the subsea cable and umbilical systems installation vessel intended for worldwide operations, from shallow and deep subsea activities. The vessel’s hull was built at the CRIST shipyard in Poland.

Italy’s TIM SpA has named five domestically based companies as suppliers for the fiber optic cables to be needed by its fixed network business, FiberCorp, for the next two years.

A press release said that the suppliers—Ecotel, Metallurgica Bresciana, Prysmian, Technikabel and Tratos—will supply TIM’s FiberCorp entity, which wants to connect 76% of underserved regions by 2025. Through a complex organization plan, the goal is to create a single access network in Italy, that will see FiberCorp merge with Open Fiber, the state-owned infrastructure company created by utility Enel and investment bank—and TIM shareholder—Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). TIM will deploy fixed wireless access to the areas not covered by the FiberCorp plan in 2022.

The release said that winning companies confirmed that the development of the cables, the cut to length, quality control and storage will all be carried out within their company, at production and certification facilities and warehouses situated on national territory. “With this operation, TIM confirms its commitment in support of the country and its entrepreneurial fabric, with the aim of optimizing the excellence and quality of Italian production to develop a strategic infrastructure for digitization, which demands top performance and efficiency.”

FiberCorp has already taken the first steps to build its own network, closing and assigning the first of the two tenders for the supply of fiber optic cables. Tratos announced that it has won a €20 million fiber cable order.

Bombardier Transportation has agreed to sell the activities of its Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) at its manufacturing site in Huehuetoca, Mexico (BT Ensambles México) to a subsidiary of Motherson Sumi Systems Limited (MSSL).

A press release said that the MSSL subsidiary will continue manufacturing the same electrical harnesses and assemblies as currently produced at the Huehuetoca site in Mexico. The divestment furthers its focus on reducing the activities to core and integration competencies. “The transaction is beneficial to both parties, since Bombardier Transportation has been seeking to establish a long-term supplier partnership for electrical harnesses and assemblies in the Americas region and MRS is an excellent partner for this,” said Elliot Sander, president, Americas Region, Bombardier Transportation.

The news follows a similar divestment last December that saw Bombardier sell its electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) assets in Querétaro, Mexico, to Latécoère. That deal included a long-term supply agreement for Latécoère to supply EWIS to Bombardier. In February 2019, Bombardier sold its wiring harnesses assets in Derby, U.K., to a subsidiary of MSSL.

United Arab Emirates’ Ducab HV, a subsidiary of Ducab Group, has won an order from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to supply the high-voltage cable for Phase 5 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (MBR Solar Park).

A press release said the order is for approximately 275 km of cable as well as “relevant accessories and terminations.” The project will be executed over three plots, each designed to generate 300 megawatts. The MBR Solar Park was described as the world’s largest single-site solar park, based on the independent power producer model. When completed, it is designed to be one of the most cost-effective solar parks anywhere.

Ducab HV will also be responsible for cable installation as the cable subcontractor appointed by Shanghai Electric of China. The latest project award follows Ducab HV having successfully energized the full turnkey 132kV system for Phase 3 of the MBR Solar Park.

DEWA is seeking to position Dubai as a global hub for clean energy and green economy through several initiatives. Its Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 initiative aims to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050. That goal has seen greater development of more diverse energy grids using customized cabling for projects that seek to harness the power of solar, wind, and nuclear energy. The MBR Solar Park has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, with investments totaling approximately US$13.6 billion. When completed, it will save over 6.5 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually.

“Ducab has a strong record of contributing towards some of the most prestigious projects in the UAE and the wider GCC region, and the MBR Solar Park is no exception,” said Ducab HV CEO Mike Engelbrecht said of the new award, which he observed was won amid fierce competition from world-class competitors. “The project will see quality, ‘Made in UAE’ cables continue to be incorporated into the landmark site, powering the development of the country for many years to come and a testament to the UAE government’s strategy to develop in country competence.”