Italian cable maker and installation services provider Prysmian has signed a framework agreement with the French transmission system operator (TSO) Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), to provide subsea cables for grid connection of two offshore wind farms in France.
Under the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning (EPCI) contract, Prysmian will be in charge of subsea cable links and landfall works that will connect the Fos and the Narbonnaise offshore wind farms to French transmission grid.
The projects are subject to call off by RTE and finalization of the terms of the relevant EPCI contracts, which are expected to occur during the period 2026-2027, while the delivery and commissioning are expected for the period 2031-2032.
These two EPCI contracts are altogether estimated at a potential value of approximately $735 million (€700 million).
Each single project will consist of three High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) 225 kV three-core export cables with XLPE insulation, all equipped with synthetic armour.
The approximately 400 km of land cables will be produced locally, in Gron, France, while the approximately 240 km of subsea cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s centre of excellence in Italy, and Finland.
Installation operation will be carried out using one of Prysmian’s proprietary advanced cable-laying vessels.
The Fos Project will be located on the coast of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and will require approximately 300 km of cables (land and subsea), while the Narbonnaise Project, located on the coast of Occitanie will require around 340 km of cables, providing individually a potential capacity of 750 MW.