Google has announced plans in a YouTube video that it plans to build a new submarine fiber optic cable connecting the
United States and Europe.
Per the report, the Grace Hopper Cable, named after a computer programming pioneer and Rear-Admiral in the United
States Navy, will be equipped with 16 fiber pairs that will incorporate advances in optical fiber switching. This will allow
for increased reliability in global communications by enabling Google to move traffic around if demand changes or if
there are connectivity issues. The company said that this is the first time this technology has been deployed and is part of
what makes Grace Hopper so unique, and noted that Google is continuously working to advance technologies like this to
improve subsea network resiliency.
The Grace Hopper Cable will run from the U.S. to the U.K. and Spain. Google customers will benefit from this cable by
better network resilience and reliability. It will join the other private cables that are part of Google’s network: Curie,
Dunant and Equiano. It will further connect Google Cloud regions and Google’s customers to one another.
When it is completed in 2022, the Grace Hopper cable will be one of only a handful of new cables to connect the U.S.
and the U.K. since 2003, when the transatlantic route was saturated by overbuilding during the cable boom around the
turn of the century. It will also mark the first investment by Google in a subsea cable network to Spain.
The Grace Hopper Cable will also be better able to connect America, the U.K. and the rest of Europe with the Equiano
cable, which is currently under construction between Portugal and the West Coast of Africa. It will increase capacity on
this busy transatlantic global crossroad and power Google services such as Meet, Gmail and Google Cloud. It will be
Google’s fourth wholly owned cable. In addition to these private cables, the company is also a member of a number of
consortiums that jointly operate cables around the world. In total, Google has now announced investments in 5 subsea
cable projects.
Industry News
Nexans announced the sale of two companies that were planned prior to Covid-19, as well as steps that have been taken in response to the effects of the virus that has uprooted much of the world.
In its mid-year financial report, Nexans announced that it has agreed to sell Berk-Tek, a U.S.-based manufacturer of local area network cables, for $202 million, to Leviton Network Solutions. Berk-Tek is a leading manufacturer of local area network copper and fiber cables. Berk-Tek’s 350 employees, as well as its facilities located in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, are expected to move under Leviton ownership before the end of Q3-2020 subject to customary closing conditions.
“This transaction is a natural step in reinforcing the Berk-Tek and Leviton marketing alliance signed in 2013. The combination of both innovative, reliable and service-oriented brands will enable Leviton Network Solutions to offer fully integrated solutions,” the release said. The transaction has an enterprise value of US$202 million. Berk-Tek reported sales for US$163 million in 2019.
“Berk-Tek is a highly respected North American cabling company with exceptional manufacturing and product development capabilities,” said Leviton President Daryoush Larizadeh. “By adding Berk-Tek to the Leviton family, we will be able to provide truly end-to-end solutions to our customers.” “Our Berk-Tek colleagues will join a long-term partner with the best strategic fit to answer customers’ demand around connectivity,” said Nexans CEO Christopher Guérin.
The second sale was for Nexans Metallurgie Deutschland GmbH (NMD), which specializes in oxygen-free copper drawing, to Mutares SE & Co. KGaA. The plant has annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons. NMD has 250 employees at two German sites in Bramsche and Neunburg. It serves first and second tier customers for automotive, white goods and industrial applications.
Mutares acquires and develops medium-sized industrial companies and operations of large corporations.
U.K.-based JDR Cable Systems, Inc. (JDR) has begun construction on a new 65,000-sf-ft U.S. headquarters on a 10-acre site in Tomball, Texas, that will combine three sites that were leased.
Per an article in the Houston Business Chronical that had information provided by JDR, a business of Poland’s TFKable, the site will be used to design and manufacture products for the oil and gas industry. The project, scheduled for completion in the first half of 2021, will allow JDR to expand its intervention workover control systems (IWOCS) rental business to support current demand.
The three leased locations collectively accounted for about 30,000 sq ft of space in northwest Houston. The new facility will include 45,000 sq ft of assembly and testing space, including a 60-ton overhead crane, and 20,000 sq ft of two-story office space. The site will see engineering and management for global projects, assembly of various oil field equipment and support for JDR’s offshore service business. Once the facility is complete, JDR plans to hire additional engineers and service technicians to expand its local presence. It will move 45 existing employees into the new facility and then hire five to 10 employees per year over the next five years.
“Beginning construction of our new Houston headquarters marks a significant milestone for our U.S. business,” said JDR General Manager Brian Davis.
The PolyOne Corporation, a leading global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and sustainable solutions, has completed its purchase of the color masterbatch businesses of Clariant and Clariant Chemicals India Ltd. PolyOne also announced that it has changed its name and will now be called Avient.
“We proudly welcome our newest associates and valued customers from Clariant Masterbatch,” said Avient President and CEO Robert M. Patterson. “They are joining us on Day 1 of this new era for our company, which as of today will be named Avient. Under this new brand, we bring two global leaders together to create a specialty company focused on sustainable solutions for our customers, being a great place to work for our associates, and creating value for all stakeholders.”
The Clariant Masterbatch business includes 46 manufacturing operations and technology centers in 29 countries and approximately 3,500 employees, who will join Avient’s Color, Additives and Inks segment.
“With this acquisition, Avient now expects over 85% of adjusted EBITDA to be generated from specialty applications,” said Patterson. “This is up from less than 10% when our specialty journey began over a decade ago. While we honor the legacies of our past organizations, under our new name Avient, we come together and look to the future as a world-class sustainable organization.”
The Prysmian Group has won a contract worth approximately €80 million to provide the submarine inter-array cable systems for the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France.
A press release said that Prysmian will provide some 90 km of three-core 66 kV HVAC XLPE-insulated inter-array cables. The cable cores will be manufactured at the Group’s sites in its French plants in Montereau-Fault-Yonne and Gron, and then be assembled and finished in its German plant in Nordenham, providing the French market with Prysmian’s state-of-the-art cable systems manufactured locally. Delivery and commissioning are scheduled for the end of 2022.
“This award confirms once again our technological leadership enabling the energy transition also in France, while also underlining our ability to provide our customers with locally manufactured solutions that ensure high performance,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP, Projects Business Unit, Prysmian Group.
“This award represents an important milestone for Prysmian as it shows that our ambition to become a one-stop solution provider covering the entire supply chain is credible and sustainable,” said Olivier Angoulevant, BU Director Offshore Wind, Prysmian Group. “Our 66 kV cables system for inter-array networks allows twice as much power to be transported in comparison to 33 kV.”
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (SEI) has completed the construction of the largest wind farm in Japan, “Wind Farm Tsugaru,” which was ordered by Kajima Corporation.
A press release said that the project required a 34-km-long power cable described as “unparalleled for an ultra-high voltage (154 kV) transmission line.” The completed wind farm is designed to have a total output of 121,600 kW, which would make it the largest onshore wind farm in Japan.
The wind farm, located in Tsugaru City, in the Aomori Prefecture, was established by Green Power Tsugaru GK, a group company of Green Power Investment Corporation. Construction took about two and a half years. Sumitomo Electric was in charge of the design, manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, such as underground power transmission and distribution lines and substation equipment, jointly with its group companies, Nissin Electric Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Densetsu Co., Ltd.
Crosslake Fibre reported plans for a 550-km subsea cable project that will connect France and England in what was described as the first fiber-optic subsea cable to be built across the English Channel in nearly 20 years,
A press release said that the project—called the CrossChannel Fibre—will have 96 fiber pairs that will each provide over 20 Tbps of throughput “delivering much-needed internet capacity between two important data hubs.”
The supplier for the fiber optic cable had not been selected yet, but subsea survey specialist EGS will undertake the marine and burial surveys for the cable system, which is due for completion in autumn 2021. The cable will connect the French capital with Slough, in southern England.
“We are excited to launch this historic subsea project and deliver a new, much-needed connection across the English Channel connecting the critically important data hubs of Slough and Paris,” said Crosslake Fibre CEO Mike Cunningham. “This new fiber infrastructure has been optimized to create the shortest path between the two data hubs, providing users with an enhanced technical solution and materially lowering operating costs.
The company told WJI that the cable contract is out to bid.
The deal follows a 2010 project last year where Crosslake Fibre provided the first new fiber-optic cable between Toronto and New York in almost two decades. For that project, the cable supplier was Sweden’s Hexatronic Cables & Interconnect Systems. That cable traverses Lake Ontario from Toronto to New York State utilizing a specialized 192 fiber strand submarine cable that is 36 miles (58 km) in length.
Accel International Holdings, Inc., announced that it will build a new 150,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
A press release said that the plant will manufacture high performance cables, wires and conductors for markets such as aerospace, medical, industrial and telecommunications. It will supply silver, nickel- and tin-plated copper and copper alloy products. The project is expected to generate 125 new jobs by 2021.
Founded in 2006, Accel operates three manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and Indiana that have a combined 450,000 sq ft of vertically integrated processes. The company primarily serves the domestic marketplace; but it has “international activity” in Canada, Mexico and China.
Accel’s new plant will be located on 10 acres in Port St. Lucie’s Tradition Center for Commerce. The company plans to break ground later this year. “With a vision for additional expansion, Accel has acquired a total of 40 acres for future development activity and has made a total capital investment of $55 million,” the release said.
The news was welcomed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who described it as “great news for Florida’s growing manufacturing sector.”
“We are excited about our corporate expansion into Florida and anticipate a bright future for us and the city of Port St. Lucie. We hope bringing 125 new jobs by 2021 to Port St. Lucie during these difficult economic times will be a catalyst for other companies to do the same,” said Accel CFO Tim Cummings.
At its website, Accel states that it plans to expand the Florida plant to 300,000 sq ft in 2023.
NKT has been awarded its largest order, worth more than €1 billion, from TenneT and TransnetBW, for a project that calls for it to supply and install a 525 kV XLPE high-voltage DC (direct current) onshore cable system.
A press release said that the cable will be used for Germany’s SuedLink corridor, which comprises two power cable systems. NKT has been awarded the 2 GW cable link, which it noted will be the world’s largest and longest high-voltage DC underground interconnector. The SuedLink line starts in Northern Germany where it connects to power from offshore wind farms and to the Nordlink interconnector, which brings hydro power from Norway to Germany via a 525 kV high-voltage DC offshore power cable system also provided by NKT.
Earlier this year, NKT announced that it would deliver the majority of the 525 kV XLPE power cable system for the SuedOstLink corridor in Eastern Germany.
“The order for the SuedLink corridor project underlines NKT’s position as a major partner in Germany’s transition towards increased use of renewable energy and in connecting the national grids,” said NKT President and CEO Alexander Kara.
A subsidiary of TKH has won a contract from Vattenfall to supply 150 km 66 kV inter-array cables for the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm (HKZ) 1-2, which is located in the North Sea.
The contract includes the manufacture and delivery of 150 km of 66 kV aluminum core cables and accessories. The execution of the installation and cable laying is scheduled for 2022-23.
The offshore wind farm, known as HKZ 1-2, is located about 22 km from the Dutch coast, between The Hague and Zandvoort. When completed, the wind farm will have an installed capacity of approximately 750 MW, and an annual electricity output equal to the consumption of approx. 1-1.5 million Dutch households.
The delivery and installation of the inter array cables will start in 2022. It is expected that the offshore wind farm will be fully operational in 2023.
Hellenic Cables, a Greek supplier of submarine cable systems, has won a contract from Seaway 7, Subsea 7’s Renewable Energy business unit, to supply 66 kV inter-array cables and components for an offshore wind farm.
A press release said that the order is for the Seagreen Marine Wind Farm, is a 1.075 GW project located 27 km off the coast of Angus, Scotland, where it will be developed and operated by Seagreen Wind Energy Limited. When completed, it will be the largest wind farm in Scotland.
The contract calls for Hellenic Cables to design and produce approximately 320 km of 66 kV inter-array cables with XLPE insulation, as well as relevant components. The cables will be made in the company’s submarine cable production unit in Corinth. Delivery is set for early 2022.
“We are proud to support Seaway 7 in a project that will provide low carbon energy to around 1 million households and accelerate the energy transition in the U.K.,” said Hellenic Cables CEO Alexios Alexiou. Hellenic Cables is one of the largest producers of cables in Europe, manufacturing power and telecommunication cables as well as submarine cables for various industrial uses, such as submarine cables for wind power projects and interconnections, as well as turnkey power transmission and distribution projects.
In other news, earlier this year Hellenic Cables announced that it has reached an agreement with Enel Green Power that will allow all its electricity needs in Greece to be met by renewable energy sources. That would include its submarine cable factory in Corinth and its high-voltage cable factory in Thebes.
Nexans has signed a €2.1 million contract with Coptech to deliver 206 km of fire-retardant power cables for the new flue gas desulfurization unit at Serbia’s 1,560 megawatt (MW) Nikola Tesla A coal-fired power plant.
A press release said that the project is part of the Serbian government’s pledge to invest €14 billion in boosting the country’s economy, including the development of its power generation sector. All the cables for the Nikola Tesla A project are fire retardant power cables according to IEC 60332-3-24 CAT C. The LV cables feature cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation. Both the MV and LV cables will be manufactured at Nexans’ Denizli factory in Turkey. The first deliveries will be in 2020, with final deliveries in 2021 when the flue gas desulfurization unit is scheduled to come online.
Nikola Tesla A is part of the Termoelektrane Nikola Tesla (TENT) power generation complex in Obrenovac, a municipality of Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city. The addition of the flue gas desulfurization unit is a key step in achieving a major reduction in sulfur dioxide and particulates emissions from the plant to enable it to meet stringent EU environmental standards.
“Nexans Turkey, which will manufacture the cables, has worked closely with its strong local partnerships to deliver high-quality cables during this difficult period,” said Nexans Romania General Manager Dumitru Sirbu. “We are excited by the prospect of making an important contribution to the power generation sector.”
“Once again, we are proud to be working with Nexans on such an important project,” said Coptech General Manager Aleksandar Stankovic. “Their expertise in the power generation sector will be invaluable.
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