FARISÉ: WE NEED TO INCREASE THE RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF POWER GRIDS
With the speech of Cinzia Farisè, Executive VP Power Grid, Prysmian took part in an event organized by RCS Academy, Corriere della Sera and Pianeta 2030 and focused on Green Transition, Alternative Sources and the Ongoing Revolution within Sustainable Companies (Fonti alternative & Green Transition: La Rivoluzione in Atto delle Imprese Sostenibili). The event was an important opportunity to explore how companies can create value by integrating technology, environmental and social sustainability.
Farisè: “This is an unprecedented time for the energy world: we are seeing a very strong increase in energy demand, driven by growing electrification and new enablers. In addition, integration of more and more renewable energy sources is surging. This has a huge impact on power grids: the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 80 million km of power lines – equivalent to the existing - will need to be added or modernised by 2040. According to the EC, electricity will have to account for 60% of the energy mix in Europe by 2050.”
“In this scenario, Utilities need to accelerate in the modernisation and expansion of power grids, and as Prysmian, we have all the necessary resources to support them. Innovation at the service of sustainability is key to position Prysmian as the ideal partner for the supply of solutions for the grid. Our FY 2024 results see a strong organic growth in the Power Grid business, with more than 20% of revenues coming from this segment: not just a cable manufacturer anymore, but a provider of green and smart solutions, with “speaking” drums equipped with the Alesea tracking system, cables with under-sheath chips capable of providing information related to the cable, its position and installation, pre-connectorized cables, and accessories equipped with sensors for the measurement of critical parameters”.
Farisè: “Networks will increasingly have to ensure maximum reliability and resilience even in the case of extreme climate conditions, this is why thinking and acting in a systemic way is paramount. We have recently signed multi-year agreements signed with RTE in France and Stattnet in Norway and innovation partnerships with the largest players in the world including Enel. As far as carbon footprint reduction and circularity are concerned, in 2024 we produced and sold more than 58,000 km of cables containing bio-based materials, but that is not all. As far as resiliency is concerned, today we are able to provide the E3X technology, a solution that, by combining materials and robotic technologies, enables losses reduction in overhead lines by up to 20%, even in existing and electrified overhead lines. We have also developed intelligent systems that go far beyond the standard product.”