Prysmian Group is the worldwide leader in the cable industry, providing major global organizations with top-notch cable solutions: from systems for the transmission and distribution of power at low, medium, high, and extra-high voltage to all types of copper and fibre solutions for telecommunication cables.
Prysmian’s Mission statement:
“We provide our customers with superior cable solutions based on state-of-the-art technology and consistent excellence in execution, ultimately delivering sustainable growth and profit.”
Prysmian supports its customers to further develop the world’s energy and telecoms infrastructures, while achieving sustainable, profitable growth.
In this spirit of technological development, Prysmian Group partnered with MFL Group to develop an annealer for copper able to produce wire for large-sized Submarine Cables.
SUBMARINE CABLE MARKET, AN OVERVIEW
Over 1.3 million kilometers (about 807782.55 mi) of submarine cables have been laid on the ocean floor and the subsea cable sector continues to grow. Submarine cables are used for power and communication, so it is easy to imagine that it is a continuously growing market.
The global submarine cable market size was estimated at USD 25.50 billion in 2021 and it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2022 to 2030, reaching USD 44.33 billion in 2030.
The market growth is led by the increasing investments in offshore wind farms, efficient power transmission and distribution systems from renewable energy sources, increasing data traffic, and investments by OTT providers.
The current applications of submarine cables include:
- Power supply to islands located close to the mainland (main and grid) where medium-voltage AC submarine power cables are normally used for distances of 10-30 km (about 18.64 mi). Furthermore, these cables are deployed as redundant submarine cables, that utilize a different route are installed, to avoid problems with cable failure.
- Connection of autonomous grids (different countries) to share generation capacities to meet the power demand where HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) submarine power cables are normally used. HVDC techniques can be linked to grids with different frequencies or with the same frequency but asynchronous.
- Supply of marine oil/gas offshore platforms where enormous amounts of power are required, and it becomes cost-effective to connect the platform to onshore grids by submarine power cables.
- Offshore Wind Farms to interconnect the wind turbine generators and bring the power to shore. These field cables are MVAC submarine power cables. The grid connection to the shore can be MVAC for short distances, or HVDC when enormous amounts of power must be transmitted a long distance.
- Short-Haul Crossings to transport power across rivers, channels, straits, fjords, or bays and avoid visual environmental impact (touristic resorts and natural resources). These installations do not restrict the height of ships navigating rivers or straits unlike overhead lines.
- Umbilical, subsea observatories, etc.
MFL GROUP, OUR SOLUTIONS FOR SUBMARINE CABLES PRODUCTION
Over the last 25 years, the group has made significant investments in developing new products and services, with the aim of offering complete vertically integrated turn-key solutions to non-ferrous cable manufacturers. Each OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) has developed in-house specialized know-how through intense and focused research & development activities to supply innovative solutions tailored to the specific customer product requirements as well as classic machines and total systems solutions to react to the rapidly changing market demand.
Over the last few years, MFL Group has gained know-now and decades of experience in the Wire & Cable Machinery Industry with the acquisition of three companies (CM Caballé, OM Lesmo, Eurodraw Energy) that complemented the Frigeco strengths and brought extremely valuable intellectual property into our Wire and Cable division.
The combination of the different strengths of each brand led to an exceptionally reliable and field proven projects for submarine cables production which includes:
- Rigid Cage Stranders
- Taping and Screening Lines
- Armouring Lines
- Annealer for copper and/or aluminum/alloy wire
- Planetary Strander (where the conductors are not too large)
PROJECT SCOPE: Annealer for Copper and/or Aluminum/Aluminum Alloy Wire
With the shift to renewable energy, marine cables are getting increasingly important.
MFL Group has responded to this remarkable trend in the transmission of energy, and we offer our customers the possibility to build complete plants, which can produce these special cables.
Among our portfolio for Submarine Cables manufacturing, AF series stands for the annealer for copper, aluminum, and alloy wire.
AF 80, provided to Prysmian Group, was designed to produced large-sized Submarine Cables, it is capable to annealing copper wire up and over 7 mm diameter at high speed.
Here are some of the key features that have made our annealers the best choice for many cables manufacturers:
- Single or twin wire
- Wire diameter range: 0.8 – 7.0 mm (and over)
- Suitable for flat/trapezoidal wire: 35/40 mm2
- Maximum Annealing Speed: 36 m/sec
- Annealing current: 5000 – 12000 Amp
- Automatic adjustment of annealing current in function of wire diameter and line speed
- AC Motors and Flux Vector Control Inverters for maximum precision and low maintenance
- Motor size range (4 motor configuration for min. wire slip): 30 – 55 kW AC
- Built-in synchronization sensor
- Annealing capstans diameter: 508 / 600 / 800mm
- Number of annealing shafts: 3
- Annealing shafts without front pipe for minimal maintenance and trouble-free operation
- Preheating section: 9200 mm
- Heating Section: 2500 mm
- Multiple Jet-stream cooling system
- Wire drying process by compressed air vortex system
- Water-cooled annealing shafts
- Controlled additional air cooling of the brushes
- Second annealing capstan inside Nitrogen enclosure (AF80)
- Wire accumulator before Annealer for “zero speed annealing” (AF80)
- Cover opens and retracts completely to allow the use of a crane for maintenance (AF80)
- Automatic emulsion valve for wire cooling regulation
- Automatic coolant Thermoregulation
CUSTOMER BENEFITS OF USING MFL GROUP ANNEALER
Among the annealers on the market, the AF series was chosen for many reasons, including:
- Ability to anneal wires with a diameter of over 7mm
- High speed and productivity that reaches 6800 kg / h
- Precise regulation of the annealing section, and of the cooling water level
- Hydraulic lift that allows easy wire threading
- Integrated emulsion tank
- Lower investment because it does not require a digging
- Reduction of energy consumption
- Ad hoc system for oxidized wire
- Perfect and constant lengthening of the wire when the machine stops
- Minimal maintenance and trouble-free operation
- Automatic emulsion valve for easy wire cooling setting
If you are looking for machinery to produce your submarine cables, fill the form and one of our experts can show the solution which matches your requirements.
Source:
“Submarine Cable Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application, By Voltage, By End User, By Offerings, By Component, And Regional Forecasts, 2022 – 2030“, Grand View Research, Submarine Cable Market Size Report, 2022-2030 (grandviewresearch.com)
“Submarine Cable Frequently Asked Questions“, TeleGeography, Submarine Cable FAQs (telegeography.com)
“Characteristics of Submarine Cables”, Tony De Rosa, MFL Group, October 14, 2021, (1) Submarine Cables | LinkedIn,