09 February 2022

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. has received a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) from Samsung C&T Corporation to deliver a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is the first of its kind submarine HVDC network in the Middle East (route length of approx. 140 km) using Sumitomo Electric’s state-of-the art 400 kV DC Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) cable technology. The initial engineering work will be commenced under this LNTP, followed by a full contract award and financial investment decision in 2022. The project value is approx. US$200 million and the system operation is expected to be started in 2025.

This is part of the Project Lightning, a new submarine HVDC network for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The EPC consortium of Samsung C&T and Jan de Nul has been awarded from a joint venture of Korea Electric Power Corporation, Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Co., Inc., Kyuden International Corporation, and Électricité de France S.A.

The UAE has set a national goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative). In line with the initiative, this project aims to achieve a significant reduction of CO₂ emissions by supplying sustainable power from the mainland through the HVDC transmission system connecting the UAE mainland with Das Island in the Persian Gulf.

Sumitomo Electric’s innovative HVDC cable technology and significant track record in the international market were positively recognized, evaluated and considered as the main driving forces towards the issuance of this LNTP. The Sumitomo Electric Group will contribute to the UAE’s zero-emission goal through this project, which is an important milestone of the UAE’s decarbonization efforts, as well as to worldwide Net-zero initiatives in the coming decades. With the rapidly growing development of renewable energies and increasing need for regional interconnectors to exchange and balance energy, the demand for HVDC XLPE cables is expected to grow further.

“It is a great honor for us to be selected as a HVDC cable supplier for this important project for UAE. As one of the leading players in the HVDC transmission industry, Sumitomo Electric is committed to supporting the creation of zero-carbon societies in the world with its extremely reliable and fault-free high voltage cable system technology,” stated Yasuyuki Shibata, Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Electric.

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