New milestones reached

New milestones reached

Being a pioneer in innovation has also warranted a competitive edge in sustainability, with a profound effect both on the energy and telecoms fronts thanks to a series of technological milestones that will impact the market in terms of energy saving and sustainability.

Pivotal among these key achievements is High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology, which enables large quantities of electricity to be transmitted over long distances, often across national borders. For example, in a world first, Prysmian has launched systems that utilise 700 kV (PPL) and 600 kV (XLPE) HVDC cables, guaranteeing increases of up to 15% in power transmission capacity and network reliability.

In addition, the Group has extended P-Laser technology – for the manufacture of cables that are 100% recyclable and eco-sustainable – to HVDC systems, by bringing to market the P-Laser 600 kV, which can achieve cost reductions of up to 30% per MW transmitted.

In addition, the Group also introduced a 66 kV cable system, which represents the highest voltage for electrical connections between offshore wind turbines, and enables wind farms to lower their costs by up to 15%. This system has qualified for the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) programme promoted by the Carbon Trust. The project is one of the Carbon Trust’s most important R&D programmes and, with support from both the UK government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and from the Scottish government, its objective is to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy via the development of innovative ideas that can be translated into viable solutions.

COMMITMENT REWARDED

In 2016 Prysmian has achieved a marked improvement in the assessment made by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The Group came fourth in the “Electrical Components & Equipment” sector, following an improvement due to the many efforts made in the environmental, social and governance fields. It was also included in an elite group of companies listed in the Italian edition of the CDP Climate Change Report, achieving a B rating in the ‘Industrials’ sector. Prysmian additionally won recognition for its environmental, social and governance KPIs from STOXXO Global ESG Leaders Index and its green energy revenues from Carbon Clean 200, being the only Italian company included.

Reshaping the industry landscape

For Submarine, 2016 witnessed the completion of the type-approval process and a great deal of the production of a 50 Hz 220 kV cable, with 1,200 mm2 copper conductors. In Terrestrial cables, the development of EHV and type tests have been completed on the new 600 kV HVDC system. Trade and Installers focused on safety, sustainability and new product indicators with the entry of harmonised European standard – EN 50575 – into force in mid 2016. The Oil & Gas segment worked at developing solutions to increase the safety of cables used in gas projects and in Electrical Submersible Pumps. Cables for Original Equipment Manufacturer Applications business area focused its efforts on the application of methodologies for extreme climates. Optical Fibre saw further improvements in the process of manufacturing in the US and Brazil, while activity within Optical Cables involved three types of product: Flextube, Multi-Loose, and ribbon cables. Prysmian also continued its development of new accessories for FTTH Ultra Broadband Access network use.