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Nexans, a worldwide leading expert in the cable industry, is supplying specially designed power cables to NG² for its PLUG shoreside power system, which makes medium-voltage power connections between shore and ship a pushbutton operation.

Nexans' Buflex PLUG cable will be used in NG²'s prototype project between the port of Oslo, Norway's largest cargo port, and Color Line A/S, to power its M/V Color Magic RoPax ferry while berthed at port.

Color Line A/S's ferry travels between Oslo and Kiel, Germany. Nexans is supplying three cables to NG². Each one has a conductor cross-section of 150mm².

Power generation during loading and unloading (PLUG)

The PLUG shore power system - which stands for power generation during loading and unloading - promises to automate the connection processes between vessels and onshore power supplies as they switch from using generators (usually powered by diesel), to using quayside power to run necessary ship systems. According to Nexans, the PLUG system will enable this ‘cold-ironing' connection, which will dramatically reduce CO² emissions and noise while the vessel is berthed, to be made in around a minute by pressing a button.

Key cable criteria: strength, flexibility and flame retardant capabilities

The Nexans cable engineered for this application is known as the Buflex Plug 6/10 (12) kV cable. The cable shares similar characteristics to those of a usual reeling cable used in materials handling applications, and is both strong and flexible. This is important in ship-to-shore power cables because of the way that the cable connects from the ship to the port. In NG²'s system the cable is lifted upwards, from a portside casing and is connected to the vessel it will power. In particular, the cable needs to be strong to resist the high tensile loads imposed by lifting the dead weight.

The flexibility of this cable is also vital because of the amount of movement it has to deal with between the ship and quay, caused by the vessel's movement on the water. The full system requires around 150 metres of cable. The cable is flame retardant in accordance IEC 60332-1 industry standard. Furthermore, in the case of port of Oslo and Color Line A/S, their cable also has to be able to cope with severely cold temperatures due to the arctic weather conditions experienced by the region.

Commenting on the Buflex PLUG Cable, Alexandre Lhuillier, Nexans Corporate Business Development Manager for Ports Infrastructures, said: "It has been great to support NG² in the development of this an innovative solution. Our cable is making a vital contribution to the success of NG²'s shoreside power system. We are looking forward to working with them as they develop this niche market and believe NG² has a game changing product on its hands.

"Nexans has a strong heritage in innovation. Aside from delivering enhanced systems for port infrastructures, we can support every link in the power supply chain from beyond ships and ports towards substations and the power-grid at large."

Damien Féger, inventor of the PLUG concept, said: "During all this development, but most particularly during this first order for our PLUG technology, we had a full support from Nexans, especially in terms of schedule, as Nexans reactivity, when we ordered this specific cable, was such that we have been able to deliver this first unit within less than four months after Color Line A/S order, in order to install this game changing shore power solution in Oslo...just in time for Nor-Shipping!"