Milan, Sept. 29, 2008 -- Prysmian Cables & Systems, a group in the sector of cables and systems for energy and telecommunications, has been awarded, in consortium with Siemens Transmission & Distribution Ltd, a contract worth a total value of 87 million Euro to supply the electrical package for the new 300MW Thanet offshore wind park, to be constructed in the North Sea. When completed, Thanet will be the world's largest offshore wind farm project. Prysmian will develop the connections between the wind park's one hundred turbines, as well as the high voltage submarine power links to the mainland British power grid. Prysmian's share of the contract is worth around 36 million Euro; Siemens will supply the onshore substation and the offshore substation.
The Thanet offshore wind park, which is scheduled to be completed by October 2009, is located about eleven kilometers off the coast of Kent. In particular Prysmian is involved in the design, supply, and installation of approximately 75 km of 33 kV submarine cables for the connections of the wind park' s one hundred wind turbines, each rated at 3MW, as well as 55 km of 132 kV cables for the transmission of electrical power generated to the mainland. The cables will be manufactured at the Prysmian submarine cables factory based in Arco Felice, Italy, and will be delivered in March 2009.
This contract proves once more the validity of the know-how and the technologies developed by Prysmian in the fast growing renewable energy sector. The Group's leading position in this high value-added field, reached in a short time, is also confirmed by other important projects in which Prysmian has been recently involved, such as the Greater Gabbard in UK (which, when completed in 2010, will supersede Thanet as the world's largest offshore park), the Alpha Ventus offshore wind park in Germany, and Gunfleet Sands offshore wind park in UK. In 2008 Prysmian will increase by 50 per cent the production capacity of its submarine cables specifically designed for the offshore wind parks, in order to further strengthen its competitive position in the Renewable Energy sector and to meet the demands of its strong order book.
About Prysmian
A leading player in the industry of high-technology cables and systems for energy and telecommunication, the Prysmian Group is a truly global company with sales exceeding 5 billion Euro in 2007 and a strong position in higher-added value market segments. With its two business, Energy Cables & Systems (submarine and underground cables for power transmission and distribution for industrial applications and for the distribution of electricity to residential and commercial buildings) and Telecom Cables & Systems (optical cables and fibres and copper cables for video, data and voice transmission), Prysmian boasts a global presence with subsidiaries in 36 countries, 54 plants in 21 countries, 7 Research & Development Centres in Europe, USA and South America, and more than 12,000 employees. Specialising in the development of products and systems designed to meet clients' specific requirements, Prysmian's key strengths include a focus on Research & Development, the capacity to be innovative on products and production processes, and the use of advanced proprietary technologies. Prysmian is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange Blue Chip index.
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Investor Relations:
Luca Caserta
Head of Investor Relations
Phone: 0039 02 6449.1
Media Relations:
Lorenzo Caruso
Communication Director
Phone: 0039 02 6449.1
