wiredinUSA October 2014

Finnish power improvements

Mooring cables, at length

Eltel and Caruna have signed a frame agreement on improving the operational reliability of power distribution networks in the southwestern areas of Finland. The improvements on the medium and low voltage networks will be carried out during the next three years. The frame agreement consists of several separate network improvement projects. Many of the overhead power lines will be replaced with underground cables. In addition to cabling, existing poles will be changed, more automation will be added, and hundreds of transformer stations will be installed. The agreement is based on a turnkey principle with Eltel taking responsibility from project planning to completion. “The agreement is a good example [of] how the infrastructure markets are changing. Our works are more and more larger cabling projects. The agreement is also a great proof of Caruna’s trust in Eltel’s competences in project management and underground cabling, and it is very important for us,” commented Juha Luusua, managing director of Eltel in Finland and president of Eltel Power distribution business.

Bridon has received a contract from Samsung Heavy Industries, in South Korea, to supply the floating, production, storage and offloading mooring cables for the Egina oil field. The cables are scheduled for delivery in August 2015. The Egina field, located 150km off the coast of Nigeria, is under development by Total Upstream Nigeria in partnership with CNOOC, Sapetro and Petrobras and is Total’s third deep offshore development in Nigeria. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2017. Located 20km from the existing Akpo field, the Egina field covers an area of around 500m 2 with a water depth of up to 1,750m. Bridon will be supplying 17 lengths of 116mm sheathed spiral strand with a finished diameter of 138mm. Each length is to be fitted with a forged closed socket delivering a total length of 2,220m. With a minimum breaking load of 13,900kN and a design life of 25 years, each complete reel will weigh 185 tonnes. This will be the longest mooring cable Bridon has manufactured since BP Thunderhorse in 2002, and also represents the largest tonnage of spiral strand produced for a single project at around 2,800 tonnes.

wiredInUSA - October 2014

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