Emera Installs North America’s Longest Submarine Electricity Cables

May 19, 2017

This month the first of two high-voltage power transmission cables that will enable the transmission of clean, renewable and reliable electricity from Newfoundland and Labrador to Nova Scotia was successfully anchored at Point Anconi, NS.

The cables are the longest in North America, and will link Newfoundland to the North American transmission system for the first time. Nexans’ cable laying vessel, the Skagerrak, and its highly specialized crew are instrumental in laying both submarine cables for the project.

The completed project will include two 170 km subsea cables across the Cabot Strait, with almost 50 km of overland transmission in Nova Scotia and more than 300 km of overland transmission on the island of Newfoundland. The cables each measure 170 km and weigh 5,500 tonnes.

Combined, the two cables weigh more than the Eiffel Tower. The first cable was manufactured in Halden, Norway, while the second cable was manufactured in Futtsu, Japan. Nexans used two facilities for cable manufacturing, allowing both cables to be produced at the same time. The cables, which will carry a combined 500 megawatts, are composed of 14 layers.

“The arrival of the submarine cables is the result of more than three years of dedication to safety and quality by our team,” says Rick Janega, President and CEO, Emera NL. “This brings us another step closer to the completion of the Maritime Link Project later this year.”

The estimated cost of the project is $1.7 billion.

Photo: Business Wire