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Prysmian Comprehensive Solutions to navigate the unforeseeable

Prysmian Comprehensive Solutions to navigate the unforeseeable

Prysmian Comprehensive Solutions to navigate the unforeseeable

Cross borders electrical connections, interconnector and export cables, are increasing in length and have longer lifetimes, making the need for proper maintenance and fast repairs to end outages more urgent than ever. 

Prysmian’s Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) services is the complete suite of services and solutions to enhanced asset management and a ready-to-repair packages where Prysmian collaborates closely with clients to support the longevity and performance of their cable connections throughout their lifecycle. Power cables needed for the energy transition can be damaged in all sorts of ways, including fishing trawlers, building works, and even acts of sabotage at a time when conflicts rage around the globe - as demonstrated by the explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. These risks to energy cable infrastructure make monitoring assets, preventive maintenance, and preparing for the need to repair broken connections and reduce outage times increasingly critical.

Prysmian’s Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) services have cut the time needed for repairs. Their demand is expected to grow steadily in coming years as clients seek to ensure their cable systems can be fixed as quickly as possible in case of failure to avoid hefty financial losses. From the moment a fault occurs, to the moment the energy flow can resume, a repair usually takes around 110 days (based on recent statistics). With Prysmian’s monitoring and repair solution, that time can be cut significantly because of pre-engineering and preparation and even more if coupled with availability of a vessel, according to Gabriele Tempestini, IMR Senior Manager for Transmission segment at Prysmian.

“Join us and we can evaluate together the advantage you can have from this solution”

Gabriele Tempestini

Gabriele Tempestini

IMR Senior Manager for Transmission segment at Prysmian

Multiple customers are signing long-term service agreements when they sign new contracts, having a reliable partner such as Prysmian to take care of their assets after the installation.

Busier sea traffic from fishing is another driver for cable asset owners to lock in maintenance contracts. Ongoing conflicts in areas such as Ukraine and the Middle East are furthermore amplifying the threat of piracy, terrorism and sabotage. Previously, cable operators would often address repairs of outages only when they happened. However, with the current boom in cable installation, if there is no maintenance and repair agreement already established, there is a greater risk of delays due to resources not being immediately available. This means an outage could take longer to fix, resulting in higher losses, potentially running into the tens of millions. "Without an agreed solution, there may be unavailability of assets in terms of vessels, in terms of specific equipment that you need to mobilize, and also skilled people that may be involved in another construction project,” said Tempestini. 

Securing the right permits for a repair operation in an area can also take time, while if a maintenance contract is already in place and there is constant interaction with the client, there will be clearer knowledge on how to gain a permit and the process can be easier and quicker.

Asset monitoring preventive maintenance ready to take action

preventive-maintenance

Prysmian’s IMR services can be split into three main areas that can fully cover the operation and maintenance needs. Firstly, there is the asset monitoring. The company, through EOSS (Electronics and Optical Sensing Solutions) installs cutting-edge sensors in the cables to measure factors such as the temperature, the acoustics and partial discharges, microscopic phenomena that signal that an electrical system is deteriorating. Prysmian can provide 24/7 monitoring of such Data on behalf of its Clients to provide quick responses, diagnostics and analysis based on long lasting experience and expertise.

Preventive maintenance

Secondly, it provides preventive maintenance such as inspection of the cable routes, to check the condition of the installation. Currents and waves can mobilize the sea bottom and expose part of the cable, and a periodical survey can identify if there are areas exposed so they can be reburied. Spare parts management, and periodical inspections of those is also key to ensure critical components are all available, in good condition, and easy to locate and recover in case of need.

Ready to take action

Lastly, there is the repair element, which involves being ready to take action. This includes defining scenarios for situations that could occur and preparing the tailored engineering for specific solutions. It also involves ensuring the availability of skilled staff, with Prysmian being able to leverage one of the biggest pools of highly skilled high voltage cable jointers, as well as preparing the availability of vessels and equipment.

With Prysmian’s multiple years of experience in installation and repairing, it is best placed to provide tailored monitoring and repair services. 

“Prysmian can deliver a much more comprehensive service than others; because it can take a holistic approach to this solution and leverage on in-house diversified expertise and capabilities within the company to really give added value to the client, who better to care for the cable-link than the team that manufactured and installed it?” concluded Tempestini.