NKT has now started the slipforming casting of concrete for a third extrusion tower at the Swedish offshore power cable factory (pictured).
Over the coming months, a truck per hour will supply concrete to the structure, ensuring its rapid ascent to 200 metres to stand as a landmark of NKT’s ongoing investments in production capacity and capabilities, said the company.
The expansion with the new tower is driven by a record high order backlog and increased demand for power cables supporting the transition to renewable energy.
Executive vice president and head of HV Solutions Karlskrona at NKT Darren Fennell said: “The beginning of the slipforming is a major milestone in the expansion of the factory in Karlskrona.
“The tower will significantly strengthen our ability to meet the growing demand for larger and longer high-voltage offshore cables essential for the green transition.
“The ongoing investments is central to the execution of our large order backlog and prepares us for the positive development, we expect in the high-voltage power cable market.
“With the capacity expansion, we continue to be a leading power cable provider for the global energy infrastructure.”
The extrusion tower is crucial in adding insulation to the high-voltage power cables produced at the Swedish facility, NKT explained.
Its construction is part of a larger investment programme in the company’s high-voltage power cable business, which also includes a second cable-laying vessel set to be operational from 2027 alongside the factory expansion.
As part of this growth, NKT plans to recruit over 500 new employees by 2027 and is on track with the hiring process in Karlskrona.