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Sumitomo Electric powers up Scotland with new cable factory

By: Chloe Emanuel 27/04/2023 Sumitomo Electric

Cables General Windfarms

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. announces plans to establish a power cable factory in Scotland, UK. The introduction of renewable energy and interconnected national and regional lines are being promoted worldwide to achieve a decarbonized society.

In the European market, where such trends are active, demand for power cables is growing. In particular, the UK is expected to be one of the largest markets for power cables, as the country is planning a number of offshore wind power projects to achieve the Scottish government’s net zero 2045 and UK’s net zero 2050.

In 2019, Sumitomo Electric delivered its HVDC cross linked polyethylene insulated (XLPE) submarine cable system for the UK to Belgium interconnector (NEMO Link) and successfully completed the installation. The 400 kV HVDC XLPE cable system is the industry’s highest voltage in commercial operation even today. This has led Sumitomo Electric to win multiple contracts in the global market, including a project connecting the UK and Ireland (Greenlink Interconnector) and a project in Germany (Corridor A-Nord).

Based on these accomplishments, the Company has decided to establish a factory in the Scottish Highlands, UK in order to capture the increasing demand for cables in the region. The new company will supply cables for offshore wind farms and further grid connections, which are indispensable for the introduction of renewable energies to the country’s electricity transmission systems.

Through the operation and maintenance services in the UK and other European markets, Sumitomo Electric will be able to meet the needs of customers and enhance its presence in these markets.

Neil Gray, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy states: "Sumitomo Electric has a proven track record in renewables technology that will be invaluable to supporting Scotland’s rapidly expanding offshore wind sector, with ambitions for more than 27 GW of generating capacity to be delivered through ScotWind.”

Sumitomo Electric was also awarded a contract from the Prysmian Group to supply 150 km of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine cable for the NeuConnect Interconnector in November last year.

This interconnector will create the first direct power link between Germany and Great Britain, connecting two of Europe’s largest energy markets for the first time. Around 725 kilometre of land and subsea cables will form an ‘invisible highway’ allowing up to 1.4 GW of electricity to move in either direction, enough to power up to 1.5 million homes over the life of the project.

For more information on interconnector projects worldwide, click here

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Sumitomo Electric powers up Scotland with new cable factory

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