Nalcor has awarded a contract valued at more than $106 million to Nexans Norway AS to construct the underwater cable for the Muskrat Falls project, according to a news release issued on Tuesday by Nexans.
Neither Nalcor nor Emera apparently issued any new releases on the tender. The only reference to the contract award on Nalcor’s website is a tiny mention buried away on the project benefits and tendering page.
The news release from the successful company included a passing reference to a fibre optic cable of unspecified capacity to be included with the high voltage direct current electricity lines.
The expressions of interest document from Nalcor issued when the competition started in 2011 included reference to fibre optics “for temperature sensing and potential telecommunications”.
According to the Nexans news release:
The HVDC cables will be manufactured at NVC, Nexans’ factory in Tokyo, Japan. Nexans will supply: three lengths of mass impregnated submarine power cables rated at 350 kilovolt (kV), with an integrated fibre optic element; three underground cables that will be used for the land connections at either side of the strait; accessories comprising of joints, spares, and terminations.
According to Nalcor’s submission to the public utilities board review in 2011-2012, the Labrador Island Link will include fibre optic cable along its entire length on the island in order “fulfill the communication requirements between the converter stations.”
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