Prysmian successfully completes the record-breaking Viking Link interconnector between the UK and Denmark, powering up to 1.4 million households

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, announces it has successfully completed the installation and HV testing activities of its 1,400 km of submarine and land power cables for the Viking Link Interconnector, the world’s longest onshore and offshore HVDC interconnector connecting the UK and Denmark. Viking Link is a joint venture between National Grid and Energinet and it is due to be operational by the end of 2023. Once operational, it will enable the exchange of clean energy between the two countries, supporting their journey to net zero.

Prysmian’s contract - worth approximately €700 million - was awarded in August 2019 by National Grid and Energinet. The contract included the turn-key design, manufacture and installation of the world’s longest interconnector covering all the 1,250 km of cables for the submarine route and approximately 135 km of land cables on the UK side, for the 4 Lots awarded to Prysmian out of a total of 5 Lots.

The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector will operate at ±525 kV DC and will allow up to 1,400 MW of power to be transferred between the two countries passing through UK, Dutch, German and Danish waters, using single-core, mass-impregnated paper-insulated cables. The HVDC cable system is designed to increase access to renewable and sustainable energy sources for more than 1.4 million households, reducing the cost of electricity in the UK and providing additional system reliability.

"This important milestone confirms Prysmian's reliability in executing complex turn-key projects," said Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects BU, Prysmian Group. “We are committed to supporting countries in achieving their sustainability goals and we are proud of our long-standing relationship with National Grid and Energinet that will help the UK and Denmark to significantly reduce their carbon emissions."

All cables were manufactured at the Prysmian Group’s centre of excellence in Arco Felice (Italy). Cable installation involved the Leonardo da Vinci — the most advanced cable layer in the market — in its first-ever offshore campaign as well as the vessel Cable Enterprise.

“Prysmian has invested heavily in the past years to upgrade its cable-laying fleet and wide range of high–tech burial equipment, consolidating the Group’s leadership in the submarine cables business, while boosting insourcing installation capabilities in order to ensure successful and flawless project execution and on-time delivery” added Alberto Boffelli, Head of Project Operations, Projects BU, Prysmian Group.