Safeguarding Swedish Wind Power With a Sustainable Cable Protection Solution

Sweden has been spearheading the move to sustainable energy for decades and currently boasts some of the world’s highest wind-generated energy per capita. The country is on track to achieve 100% renewable electricity production by 2040, and Pipelife Sweden is playing its part by supplying cable protection pipes to the new Skallberget-Utterberget wind farm in the Avesta municipality. This green infrastructure will provide an estimated annual energy production of approximately 205 GWh throughout the Mälardalen region, powering homes from Dalarna to Stockholm.

_{SKALLBERGET-UTTERBERGET WIND FARM}

The Skallberget-Utterberget project site covers a significant stretch of uneven terrain and takes its name from the area’s focal points: the Skallberget and Utterberget peaks. As wind resources for electricity generation are generally more favorable at higher elevations, Skallberget and Utterberget will host the project’s 12 turbines at heights between 150 m and 185 m above sea level.

The turbines’ 170 m diameter rotors will each produce up to 6.6 MW of power, even in the low to medium wind conditions that are typical for onshore facilities.

_{102 KM OF RECYCLED PE CABLE PROTECTION FOR A RELIABLE POWER SUPPLY}

In Sweden, all cables carrying more than 24 kilovolts must be protected against conditions that could cause damage to the live power lines. Pipelife Sweden has, therefore, supplied 102 km of PE cable protection pipes to facilitate safe energy transfer from the wind turbines to their receiving power stations. The flexible pipes, made from 100% recycled PE, were perfect for navigating the challenging terrain and were buried approximately 1 m deep with the help of Pipelife-supplied marking tape and nets. 

Responsible for organizing both the production and delivery of the pipes, Pipelife Sweden worked closely with their local transportation partner, Sanfridssons Åkeri, to orchestrate deliveries in line with the specific timelines and locations required by the client, Omexom. 

Large projects like this always present certain logistical challenges. However, thanks to efficient production planning and close cooperation among all stakeholders, Pipelife Sweden ensured the cable protection pipes were manufactured and delivered to the right place at the right time. The precise timelines and supply chains involved in a project of this size leave little room for error, and it was therefore important that the client could rely on Pipelife as a proven and dependable supplier.