Prysmian has received the first layer of approval of the construction permits for the development of its new subsea cable plant in Brayton Point, Massachusetts, which will service the U.S. offshore wind sector.
Construction is planned to start in the summer of 2023 and to take two years.
With a $200 million investment, Prysmian will redevelop the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power plant into the subsea cable factory.
The plant will be dedicated to the production of high-tech inter-array and export cables up to 275 kV AC and 525 kV DC to connect offshore wind farms to mainland power grids.
According to Prysmian, the factory is designed to start delivering 270 km AC 275 kV of finished three-cores cables a year and is designed for a possible future upgrade, should the market allow.
The cable hub will also have an R&D center with a high-voltage test lab, which will be the first of its kind in the U.S., the cabling giant said.
In addition to the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project already underway, Prysmian’s order book in the U.S. includes the €900 million Commonwealth Wind and Park City projects and the €630 million project to link the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) wind farm to the mainland grid.
The company is also delivering cables for the Empire Wind offshore wind farm.
Source: Offshore Energy