2013 Sustainability Report - page 19

19
In our drive for sustainability and aware
of the effects that our activities have on
the countries and economies in which
we do business, Prysmian has decided
to adopt a policy covering the actions
we can take to benefit the community.
The Policy addresses all non-business
activities, activities not directly related
to the creation of economic value and
those which, in line with the Group’s
sustainability objectives, seek to
meet the needs of the communities in
which we operates. The objective is to
regulate such activities and to associate
them, where possible, with the Group’s
business activities.
Contributions can be made in various
different ways. Prysmian makes
available three principal types of
contribution: monetary (expenses
incurred in order to contribute to a
project or a community initiative);
employee time (hours paid to
employees involved in charitable
activities); donations in kind (products,
equipment and other tools made
available to the assisted organisation or
association).
With regard to the terrestrial
transmission and distribution of
electricity, the first system to use
high voltage P-Laser cable underwent
important trials during 2013. Developed
first for medium
voltage applications, P-Laser is the first
high performance, eco-sustainable cable
for electricity grids to be produced using
recyclable raw materials. High voltage
P-Laser has the same characteristics as
the equivalent medium voltage cable, in
terms of efficiency, compatibility with
the existing grid and low environmental
impact. In fact, the operating
temperature of the cable can exceed the
90°C allowed by XLPE technology, while
the shielding, protective sheathing and
conducting metals are fully recyclable.
The first link at 150 kV, extending about
5 km, was completed for Terna S.p.A.
during August in the province of Milan,
Italy, a represents a real milestone for
the sector. In fact, it represents the
first step in a radical change in the
functioning of the world’s electricity
systems. Over the next few years, all
users will benefit considerably in terms
of efficiency, quality and the safety of
supplies.
The Prysmian Group is a specialist
partner of the Solar Impulse project,
which was launched a few years ago
by Bertrand Piccard, psychiatrist
and aeronaut, well known for having
completed the first non-stop trip around
the world in a hot-air balloon. Solar
Impulse is a four-engined, ultra-light,
high-wing aircraft project developed
at the École Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne, in Switzerland. The
aircraft will fly around the world relying
solely on solar energy, with a view to
demonstrating that clean energy can be
used in aviation.
In 2013, Prysmian completed
the delivery of 150 km of special
aeronautical cable for the distribution of
power throughout the aircraft, offering
a perfect compromise between weight
and performance. In particular, a type
of aluminium cable devised specifically
by the Group for this type of application
enables weight to be reduced by 30%,
compared with traditional copper
cables. The Aerospace Business Unit
produces 60,000 km of cable each year
for the aerospace sector, providing
cabling solutions not only for light
aircraft, such as the Solar Impulse, but
also for the largest commercial planes,
such as the A380.
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
AND PHILANTHROPY POLICY
FIRST HIGH VOLTAGE
P-LASER CABLE
FLIGHT WITHOUT FUEL
I...,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,...IV
Powered by FlippingBook