AMPRION AWARDS BILLION-EURO CONTRACT TO CABLE MANUFACTURER SUMITOMO

Amprion has secured cable supply capacities for sections of the Korridor B and Rhein-Main-Link projects by awarding a contract and signing a Preferred Supplier Agreement with the Japanese company Sumitomo Electric. These production capacities – with a total volume in excess of €3 billion – are to be built up in Germany.

The signing ceremony has been taken place in Berlin with the attendance of Mr Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Rudi Hoogvliet, Plenipotentiary of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the Federal Government and State Secretary. “Power highways are an essential component for advancing the energy transition and the transformation of our economy. By purchasing high voltage direct current cables made in Germany, Amprion is helping to strengthen our economy and our strategic and energy resilience.”

Rudi Hoogvliet, State Secretary and Authorised representative for Baden-Württemberg to the Federal Government, emphasised: “Renewing and expanding our energy infrastructure is a key task for the coming years. This major order from Amprion shows that the energy transition is also a key to new, green economic growth in Baden-Württemberg and beyond.”

Dr Hendrik Neumann, CTO of Amprion said: “The contract and the Preferred Supplier Agreement with Sumitomo Electric are crucial to enabling us to implement the Korridor B and Rhein-Main-Link projects on schedule and to our ability to play our part in achieving the nation’s climate goals. We are delighted to have found a partner in Sumitomo Electric that is building up extensive production capacities in Germany. This will generate value added in Germany and is also the most sustainable solution for implementing our projects thanks to the short transport routes.”

The supply contract for project 49 of the direct current link Korridor B and the Preferred Supplier Agreement (PSA) for part of the Rhein-Main-Link will give both Amprion and Sumitomo Electric planning certainty over the next ten years. Sumitomo Electric announces majority shareholding of a Germany based reputed high voltage manufacturer Südkabel, and to expand its production capacity in Mannheim to locally produce the highest end 525kV HVDC cable.

Masaki Shirayama, CEO of Electric, Wire and Energy Unit said: “I am delighted to be selected as the cable partner for two major HVDC projects by Amprion in addition to the A-Nord project currently under construction. With acquisition of Südkabel, we can fully localise our operation in Germany to support Amprion and the energy transition in the country. Along with our new submarine cable factory being constructed in Scotland, we will further reinforce and expand our High Voltage power cable capabilities in the region.”

The order comprises 525kV HVDC cable for the approximately 300 kilometre-long V49 link of the Korridor B direct current project between the Wilhelmshaven substations in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamm in North Rhine-Westphalia. The PSA initialled sees the parties agree to negotiate the awarding of contracts for sections of the Rhein-Main-Link project with the aim of concluding the final contracts by 1 June 2026. Sumitomo Electric undertakes to reserve the necessary production and installation capacities until this date.

The Rhein-Main-Link underground cable connection is one of the key grid expansion projects of the energy transition. The high-capacity electricity corridor is expected to transport up to 8 gigawatts of green wind power directly to state of Hesse in central Germany, where it will strengthen the economy of the Rhine-Main region.