Nexans launches the first low-carbon power grid cable offering in France

• The first range of low-carbon power grid cables available on the French market guarantees a minimum 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard cables
• This offer is built on the guaranteed use of low-carbon aluminium and recycled plastic, as well as the use of renewable or decarbonised energies in manufacturing the cables. Products are 100% manufactured in France
• Access to the CO2 data of these cables is guaranteed so that all the players in the chain can monitor and optimise their carbon emissions.

Paris, 2 May 2023 – Nexans is launching a new range of low-carbon distribution grid cables, the first on the French market. By adopting a holistic approach all along the value chain and throughout the cable life cycle, the Group has succeeded in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of its low- and medium-voltage cables from 35% to 50%, depending on the products.

The Group’s ambition: to reduce the cable industry’s carbon footprint…

The manufacturing of one kilometer of energy network cable currently generates a volume of CO2 representing two to three times the average annual emissions per inhabitant in France [1]. These emissions come mainly from the aluminium conductor, which alone accounts for between 70% and 90% of the total footprint, followed by plastics, transport and the manufacturing process.

In order to reduce the carbon footprint of its products by more than one-third, Nexans acts-on:

• The guaranteed use of 100% low-carbon aluminium [2], in line with the objectives of the Aluminium Forward 2030 coalition of which the Group is part, and which is aimed at speeding up the sector’s decarbonisation;
• The use of up to 50% recycled plastic in the insulation and/or sheathing;
• Targeted actions on the manufacturing process and transport;
• Increased selectivity in the choice of suppliers based on their environmental performance;
• 100% French production at its plants in Jeumont and Bourg-en-Bresse.

A further advantage lies in the fact that Nexans provides all the environmental data for its products (PEP Ecopassport®) to enable power distribution operators, installers and distributors to manage their carbon emissions. On request, the Group also performs a carbon assessment per project or per customer.

... and over the entire life cycle of a cable

The environmental footprint of a cable is also measured beyond its manufacturing. Approximately 90% of the total emissions from grid cables are generated after they are put into service, due to the energy loss, known as the “Joule effect”, which accumulates over decades of use.

In line with its E3 ambition (Economy, Environment, Engagement), Nexans offers a range of solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the cable over its entire life cycle:

• Engineering studies to determine the optimal cable type and cross-sections over the entire life cycle depending on the application;
• Innovative cable solutions, such as the EDRMAX® medium voltage cable, which can be buried as is, with no need for a sand bed, thanks to its reinforced sheath – thus reducing the CO2 emissions stemming from its installation by 10%;
• Digital solutions to increase our customers’ productivity: the ULTRACKER® range;
• Innovative technology via RecyCâbles (joint venture between Nexans and SUEZ) for the recycling copper and aluminum cables, promoting the circular economy.

Nexans’ new low-carbon power network cable offering illustrates Nexans’ capacity for innovation and its strong commitment to sustainable development, as the Group is recognized as a global leader in climate action by several extra-financial assessment bodies. This first offer is part of an ambitious Nexans carbon trajectory, validated by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), aimed at reducing emissions by 4.2% per year between 2019 and 2030.

[1] Source: French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion: France's carbon footprint from 1995 to 2021 | Data and statistical studies (developpement-durable.gouv.fr)

[2] “Low-carbon” aluminium is produced, during the electrolysis phase, using decarbonised electricity.