PHOTO: Prysmian Completes Operations for SE Asia’s Longest Subsea Cable System

Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cables and systems industry, has completed operations for the construction and execution of the submarine power cable link to connect Phu Quoc Island to the national power grid in Vietnam.

The turnkey project refers to a contract awarded in May 2012 by the Vietnamese utility EVNSPC (Southern Power Corporation under Vietnam Electricity) worth a total of Euro 67 million for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of the submarine interconnection.

Situated 45 km west of Ha Tien town, Kien Giang province in southern Vietnam, Phu Quoc Island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam and the submarine cable link plays a major role in the province’s 2020 socio-economic development master plan aimed at making Phu Quoc Island into a special administrative-economic zone by the end of the decade, serving as a national and international center for high-end ecotourism and entertainment, and particularly significant in terms of security and national defense. The Phu Quoc link is the first submarine power cable link installed by a utility company in Vietnam and South East Asia’s longest undersea cable system.

The Phu Quoc cable connection comprises some 56 km of 3×630 mm² 110 kV copper, single wire armoured XLPE insulated submarine cable manufactured in the Group’s worldwide reputed technology excellence centre during 2013. After a long trip from Italy across the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean the Prysmian cable laying vessel “Cable Enterprise” and its team of specialized personnel and equipment installed the submarine cable, which was also successfully commissioned ready for operations.

Thanks to unrivalled knowledge, experience, commitment and expertise, developed in more than 130 years of history as worldwide leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry and in submarine cable technology and execution of turnkey projects, Prysmian was able to successfully complete the project well ahead of schedule, only after two months and just in time to begin operation on the occasion of the 2014 Lunar New Year holiday. Effective from February 2 power supply to the island is provided exclusively by ways of the Group’s cable.

The inauguration ceremony for the interconnection took place on February 6 and was attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Standing Secretary of Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Lê Hồng Anh and several important politicians and dignitaries from the Central Hanoi Government, as well as the Italian Ambassador to Vietnam. “We are proud of having supported EVNSPC and the Vietnamese people in reaching this important goal and that Prysmian was chosen not only as a contractor, but also as a true partner to cooperate with to achieve a common target,” stated Marcello Del Brenna, CEO of Prysmian Powerlink in his speech on the occasion.

With this project Prysmian has delivered to Vietnam and its people top edge technology and know-how, the same technology and know-how that helped carrying power to metropolis like New York and San Francisco or delivering renewable power generated offshore to the mainland in Germany and the UK.

Press Release, February 14, 2014; Image: Prysmian