NKT’s 200-meter-long power cable extrusion tower gets its name

Denmark-headquartered power cable manufacturer and installation firm NKT has disclosed the name of its third cable extrusion tower, which is being built at its high-voltage power cable factory in Karlskrona, Sweden.

The name of the second tallest tower in the Nordics, which rises 200 meters above the city, is NKT Crown, symbolizing the Danish player’s substantial investments in the factory and the positive development of Karlskrona as part of the ongoing expansion of the firm’s high-voltage cable factory in Sweden to meet the demand for high-voltage power cables. 

This name was selected by representatives from NKT and Emma Swahn Nilsson, Chair of the Municipal Executive Board in Karlskrona, from over 600 suggestions. NKT Crown is said to stand as a crown above the city of Karlskrona, creating a new skyline alongside NKT’s two other towers, representing a greener world, the company’s investments, and future growth, supporting the global transition to reliable and clean energy.

The company claims that this tower also reflects the historical legacy of the city’s name of Karlskrona, which is directly translated to Karl’s crown, referring to King Karl XI, the founder of Karlskrona in 1680. The tower was officially named by Ebba Busch, Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, and Deputy Prime Minister, at a ceremony at the high-voltage factory in Karlskrona.

According to Busch, the approval of the expansion in Karlskrona as the first EU net-zero strategic project is a confirmation of Sweden’s key role in driving the green transition and strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness and energy security. The third extrusion tower is part of NKT’s ongoing investments of €1.3 billion in expanding production and installation capabilities at this factory.

The Danish firm believes this will make the site the world’s largest manufacturing facility for high-voltage offshore power cables when operational in 2027. The EU recognized the expansion as the first European net-zero strategic project under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act last month, providing the project with national priority status for accelerated administrative treatment and faster permitting.

Claes Westerlind, CEO of NKT, commented: “NKT Crown is an excellent name. The tower is built to meet the robust demand for high-voltage power cables driven by the transition to renewable energy. It now rises as a symbol, crowning the significant investments in the factory, the positive development of Karlskrona, and the energy transition.

“It has been inspiring to see the passion from people from near and far suggesting names for the tower, which is becoming a local monument of the ongoing development of the city.”