Nexans Opens Expanded Subsea Cable Facility in Charleston

France-based offshore cable manufacturer and installation contractor Nexans announced Tuesday it has officially opened its transformed high voltage subsea cable plant in Charleston, S.C.

From the Charleston facility Nexans will deliver subsea cables up to 525kV HVDC and 400kV HVAC, covering the full range of needed products for export cables for offshore wind and subsea interconnectors. The first subsea high voltage export cable will be delivered to an offshore windfarm in the U.K. beginning 2022.

The plant is also part of the comprehensive supply chain that is being developed to support offshore wind in the U.S. market, Nexans said. The U.S. government earlier this year announced plans to promote offshore wind, with a goal to have 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity installed by 2030, and 110 GW of offshore wind by 2050.

Nexans has signed a framework agreement with Eversource and Ørsted to supply the first U.S.-made subsea high voltage export cables for the projects, and preferred supplier agreement with Equinor for the turnkey projects Empire Wind 1 and 2. The firm estimates it will be able to deliver up to 1,000 kilometers of cables for Ørsted’s and Eversource offshore wind farms in North America up until 2027.

Christopher Guérin, CEO of Nexans, said, "It’s an exciting time for the wind industry in the U.S. as we unleash the potential that offshore renewable energy offers. Our purpose is to ‘electrify the future’ and our expanded facility allows us to do that by combining decades of experience in developing and manufacturing high voltage cables with the newly launched and the most technically advanced cable-laying vessel (CLV) Aurora. We are thrilled to contribute to the wind power revolution in the U.S. and beyond."  

"We are committed to playing our part in the creation of a more sustainable world and the electrification of our planet while helping meet U.S. goals for carbon neutrality. We believe that offshore wind will be key to create a clean energy economy; helping to add jobs, stimulate the economy, all while cutting greenhouse gas emissions."

Built in 2014 to serve the U.S. high-voltage transmission market, the Charleston plant expansion supports the rapidly growing U.S. offshore wind market. By the end of 2021, Nexans will have created 210 new jobs to support the industry development in South Carolina.