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The development of new energy sources has brought a vibrant spring to the submarine cable market
Release Time:
2025-03-07
A global boom in the laying of submarine cables is underway.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
In the picturesque German North Sea, 80 wind turbines are under construction. Once completed, they will generate enough electricity to power 400,000 households. This electricity will be transmitted via submarine cables.
The development of the submarine cable industry is roughly divided by 2005: before that, it was sluggish; afterward, benefiting from factors such as rising energy prices and environmental protection, offshore wind power and cross-national power grids developed rapidly, and the submarine cable industry experienced a period of significant growth.
Industry observers say that the global submarine cable market has developed rapidly in the past 10 years, and is expected to develop even faster in the future. According to a report released by Navigant Research, a market research firm in Colorado, USA, at the end of 2013, global sales of high-voltage submarine cables will nearly triple in the next 10 years, increasing from US$1.9 billion in 2014 to over US$5.3 billion in 2023.
Walter Musial, chief engineer at the National Wind Technology Center under the U.S. Department of Energy, said: "The demand for submarine cables is obvious. We are seeing the number of offshore wind turbines installed increasing year by year, such as in the North Sea and Asia, and the United States will also follow suit, vigorously developing offshore wind power."
Osberg, R&D manager at Nexans, a Norwegian cable manufacturer, also predicts continued growth in the submarine cable industry, especially for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cables.
"It is certain that with the development of renewable energy towards distributed generation, power transmission networks will be inevitably needed." He said. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) refers to the conversion of alternating current generated by power plants into direct current for transmission, which enables the transmission of large amounts of power over long distances with low energy loss.
A global boom in the laying of submarine cables is underway. The DanTysk wind farm in the German North Sea is laying approximately 159 kilometers of submarine power cables with a total value of approximately US$340 million. Scotland and England also plan to lay 385 kilometers of submarine cables totaling US$1.1 billion under the Irish Sea. In addition, Canada is also promoting the construction of a US$1.5 billion line connecting Nova Scotia and Labrador.
According to the business manager of Prysmian, a US submarine cable company, by opening up underwater connections, the utilization of electricity between countries will become more efficient, and renewable energy from remote areas can be utilized. "For example, Scotland will build more offshore wind farms, while the main electricity consumers are located in southern England." He said, "If the traditional method of overhead lines were used, it would be infeasible for the government, as the widespread lines would damage the local landscape. The underwater method effectively solves this problem."
Pis also stated that 60% of the submarine cable market comes from wind power, "In addition to the cable connection from the wind farm to the land, a wind farm with 200 turbines requires 200 kilometers of cable to connect the turbines."
However, laying cables under the sea requires specially designed vessels and robotic tools, and will also have some environmental impact. According to a 2009 report from the OSPAR Commission, cables can provide an artificial habitat, attracting plants and animals not usually found there. "Although this change is not significant." The report states, "due to the lack of thorough research, the electromagnetic and thermal effects of these cables may affect marine life."
However, proponents of submarine cables insist that this method helps improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so it is positive in the long run.
Statistics from cable manufacturer ABB show that by laying the 580-kilometer NorNed submarine cable between the Netherlands and Norway, Dutch consumers can utilize Norwegian hydropower during peak daytime electricity consumption, while Norway can use Dutch coal-fired power when hydropower is insufficient. Due to the mutual utilization of energy between the two countries, nearly 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions are reduced annually. The NorNed submarine cable project was completed in 2008 and is currently the longest submarine cable in the world.
The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in Ireland has proposed the construction of a 1,000-kilometer submarine cable to transmit Ireland's abundant hydropower and wind power to the UK. It is understood that the project is currently undertaking financing and feasibility studies.
Although the prospects for the submarine cable industry seem promising, some industry insiders believe that there are still factors hindering its development.
According to Bob Lockhart, research director at Navigant Research, laying submarine cables often involves different countries' waters, and the restrictions and regulations of each country on its territorial waters are different, which may lead to project delays or even cancellations. At the same time, the supply of special cable-laying equipment vessels is very limited.
Even so, Lockhart believes that with the growth of renewable energy, submarine power cables will have a bright future.
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