Nexans

Jérôme Fournier Mar 10, 2022

Transmission networks are responsible for the bulk transfer of electricity between sources of generation and sources of demand. Modern transmission systems are miracles of connectivity, linking regions, nations and remote generation assets – often over hundreds of kilometres.

The transmission landscape is changing in several ways. First, there is a need to accommodate a forecast rise in electricity demand of more than 40% over the next 20 years. Transmission System Operators (TSOs) need new and upgraded HVAC infrastructure to achieve this.

Second, there is a growing requirement for high-capacity transmission with minimal losses. Offshore wind is a major driver – the latest wind farms are more than 100 km from the coast. There is also an increasing need for long-distance HVDC subsea interconnectors. These play a crucial role in ensuring the optimal functioning of energy markets.

Third – and in parallel with the above – there is a growing need for cross-border transmission between national energy systems. In Europe, investment in better connectivity between nations could save 110 TWh of curtailed energy a year and cut annual CO₂ emissions by 55 million tonnes by 2040.

Overarching all of this is the need for resilience. The increase of the high-voltage grid, the addition of new interconnection lines between countries and continents contributes to a better reliability and a greater flexibility of the grid.

As electricity becomes the primary power source for everything – including heating, transport and industry – the reliability of transmission infrastructure will become more important than ever.

Nexans provides a complete range of innovative transmission solutions and services to satisfy the evolving demands of the electricity industry while minimising the total cost of ownership. These include:

All of our cable products are manufactured with environmental performance in mind, with minimal waste and maximum re-use of materials.

As well as manufacturing and supplying transmission cables, we support our customers with a complete range of services. Among these are:

In my next blog, we will focus on electricity distribution and discover how Nexans is helping Distribution System Operators to get the most out of their networks.

Jérôme Fournier is Nexans' Vice President in charge of Innovation, Services & Growth since January 1, 2019.Jérôme joined Alcatel Cables in 1997 in the Metallurgy division. He was in charge of Nexans' R&D from 2007 to 2011 before joining Michelin Group where he held various positions as R&D Director from 2011 to 2018. As VP Innovation he is responsible for the Group's R&D, Design Labs teams, innovation partnerships and acceleration units.