12/6/21 – Nexans has opened the first North American plant that has the capacity to manufacture high-voltage subsea cables up to 525 kV HVDC and 400 kV HVAC.
A press release said that the site in Charleston, South Carolina, will provide the full range of products for export cables for offshore wind and subsea interconnectors. The first subsea high-voltage export cable will be delivered to an offshore windfarm in the U.K. beginning in 2022.
The Charleston plant is part of the comprehensive supply chain that is being developed to support offshore wind in the U.S. market. Energy companies such as Eversource, Ørsted and Equinor are among those whose projects are expected to accelerate the energy transition in the U.S. Nexans has signed a framework agreement with Eversource and Ørsted to supply the first U.S.-made subsea high voltage export cables for the projects, and preferred supplier agreement with Equinor for the turnkey projects Empire Wind 1 and 2.
Nexans estimates that it will be able to deliver up to 1,000 km of cables for Ørsted’s and Eversource offshore wind farms in North America up until 2027. Also, as the preferred supplier for Equinor’s Empire Wind, early engagement for Mayflower, Nexans is well positioned to support the U.S. with further energy transition projects.
“It’s an exciting time for the wind industry in the U.S. as we unleash the potential that offshore renewable energy offers,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin. “Our purpose is to ‘electrify the future’ and our expanded facility allows us to do that by combining decades of experience in developing and manufacturing high voltage cables with the newly launched and the most technically advanced cable-laying vessel (CLV) Aurora. We are thrilled to contribute to the wind power revolution in the U.S. and beyond.”
Guérin said that the initiative helps efforts to create a more sustainable world and further electrification efforts, while helping the U.S. meet its goals for carbon neutrality. “We believe that offshore wind will be key to create a clean energy economy; helping to add jobs, stimulate the economy, all while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.”
Built in 2014 to serve the U.S. high-voltage transmission market, the Charleston plant expansion supports the rapidly growing U.S. offshore wind market. By the end of 2021, Nexans will have created 210 new jobs to support the industry development in South Carolina.