NEXANS - SUCCESSFUL MARINE TEST OF ELECTRICAL CABLES FOR THE GREAT SEA INTERCONNECTOR - Filenews 10/3
The sea trial for the submarine power cables of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project was successfully carried out in a designated sea area west of Sicily in Italy.
The test was carried out by the specialized cable ship "Nexans Aurora", which has also been used in the project of the Crete-Attica electrical interconnection.
The company was designed to simulate the actual installation conditions of the 525 kV high-voltage submarine direct current (HVDC) cable system, at very high sea depths. In particular, the process involved the installation and recovery of parts of the electric cable – along with their connection – at a depth of 3,000 meters. After recovery, high-voltage electrical tests followed, at levels 30% above standard industry standards, as well as a visual inspection of the cable system.
With the completion of the milestone of the marine trial, any concerns about the technical viability of the project are removed, as it is proven that the cable that has already been built can be installed and operate safely at depths of around 3,000 meters, something that remained to be confirmed in the field as well.
The data and operational conclusions collected during the test will be subjected to detailed technical processing and evaluation, in accordance with the project's strict quality assurance and technical certification framework.
Given the large scale and increased technical requirements of GSI, which is one of the longest and deepest underwater electrical interconnectors designed worldwide, the completion of this test highlights the steady progress of the project and strengthens confidence in its technical maturity and implementation path.
