RTE strengthens its strategic supplies with five European suppliers

RTE has contracted with five suppliers – Prysmian, Nexans, NKT-SolidAl and Hellenic Cables – to secure underground power cables supplies for its projects until 2028. Worth a total of almost one billion euros (€), this commitment covers the supply and installation of around 5,200 kilometers of underground cables for voltage levels ranging from 90,000 to 400,000 volts.

As part of this contract of almost one billion euros (€), all cables will be produced exclusively in Europe (France, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands), at a cost of 668 million euros. These contracts also cover cable installation and assembly services (for around 300 million euros).
One third of the cables will be produced in France, at both the Prysmian plants in Gron (Yonne) and Montereau-Fault-Yonne (Seine-et-Marne) and the Nexans plant in Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain). With this commitment, RTE is reserving almost all of the French production capacity still available until 2028, for the production of more than 1,700 km of cables.

Securing these strategic supplies is essential for RTE to if we are to meet future requirements for developing and strengthening the electricity transmission network.

These contracts are a concrete evidence of the new industrial strategy and purchasing policy set out by RTE, which will be at the heart of its future strategic network development plan for the next 15 years. This policy is based on anticipating needs, standardising equipment, mass production and extending contract length (from 5 to 8 years).

It aims at offering sufficient visibility to suppliers to enable them to develop their production capacities in France and Europe.

Such a strategy is already proving its relevance by allowing Prysmian to invest in a new cable production line in Seine-et-Marne. RTE thus contributes to France’s reindustrialisation and economic development.

These contracts illustrate how the investments made by RTE to upgrade the French grid can contribute to developing employment and economic growth in France. They also reflect RTE’s determination to join forces effectively with other industrial partners to adapt the French grid to support the country’s transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050.