NKT has expanded its capacity for transporting and storing offshore power cables from its German factory in Cologne, to meet the increasing demand for power cables in the offshore industry,

Demand for offshore power cables is expected to rise in the coming years as offshore wind continues to be important for the global renewable energy transition.

NKT is now investing in a new specially constructed barge equipped for cable transport on the Rhine with a promising business outlook and a heavy order backlog to expand transport capacity and improve supply protection from its production site in Cologne.

NKT also raises capacity in its Rotterdam logistics center from which the offshore cables manufactured in Cologne are loaded into cable-laying vessels.

“With the investment in the purpose-built barge and in increased capacity at our logistical center in Rotterdam, we strengthen our position as a leading provider of offshore power cables. The investments are driven by a growing demand from the offshore industry and will enhance our delivery security even in times with abnormal weather conditions or with multiple projects being executed in parallel.”

Mika Makela, executive vice president.

The barge is planned and built for the changing conditions of the Rhine by Neptune Marine and can work in very shallow water, mitigating the impact of low water levels. To mitigate the effect on the environment, the barge is powered by green electricity during cable loading at the Cologne harbor, where the factory is also powered by renewable energy produced electricity.

With high-voltage cable factories in both Cologne and Karlskrona, Sweden, NKT is strategically well placed to supply power cables to the rising offshore wind sector in the North and Baltic Sea as well as to the inter-connector market which is also driven by the transition to renewable energy across Europe.

NKT expects the barge to be fully operational in Q4 2020.