One of Sweden’s largest construction projects is currently underway to expand NKT’s factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, increasing the capacity to meet growing need for offshore high-voltage power cabling. To keep electricity flowing to this pivotal project, NKT has partnered with ABB Distribution Solutions to deliver the power supply to the expanded facilities.
The production facility will be expanded with a new factory and a third extrusion tower, making it the world’s largest high-voltage offshore cable factory. NKT’s expanded site will produce high-voltage submarine power cables for up to 640 kV DC, which play a critical role in supporting the global energy transition.
In the tower, power cables hang in a vertical position while its insulation system is applied and ensuring uninterrupted power is therefore a top priority as production will be running around the clock. According to NKT, the production plant will be supplied with 100 percent renewable electricity and the electricity infrastructure will be placed in two new distribution stations.
“The ongoing investment in the factory creates the opportunity to annually produce the cables required to connect up to ten average offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 20 GW - enough to supply approximately 15-20 million homes," says Darren Fennell, executive vice president and head of HV Solutions Karlskrona at NKT.
"ABB can deliver a solution that meets our requirements for high availability. The company has supplied the power supply to our existing plant and as we now expand, we choose to continue a collaboration that works well with a partner that has reliable, high-quality equipment.”
ABB will deliver 90 UniGear ZS1 switchgear panels and peripheral equipment such as busbar packs, cross-connection cabinets and 110 V DC LS systems with batteries. The UniGear ZS1 switchgear has been used for 25 years to distribute uninterrupted power in demanding applications, and is highly regarded in the industry due to its high standards of safety and reliability. The assignment also includes plant design, project management, installation, testing and commissioning of the equipment.
"We are excited to be involved in NKT's efforts to facilitate the transition to renewable energy through advanced submarine cables,” says Håkan Morling, responsible for Solutions at ABB Distribution Solutions in Sweden. “For ABB, this project signifies our total commitment, and our extensive experience in delivering large, complex facilities will prove valuable.
"ABB delivers around a thousand UniGear switchgear panels every year to the Swedish market. It is a well-proven technology designed to meet the high reliability and personal safety required by the industry. With UniGear, NKT gets a future-proof solution for the power supply of the cable factory around the clock.”
As part of the global energy infrastructure, submarine high-voltage power cables are an important piece of the puzzle in the transition to renewable energy. As offshore wind capacity expands, more and more advanced cable systems are needed to connect countries and enable energy to move from one place to another.