ICEFLEX Cable from Nexans | Marine & Offshore Power Cable Meets Arctic Challenge

Published 01 May 2019

ICEFLEX Cable from Nexans

Nexans ICEFLEX Cable

Flexing Your Cables In Freezing Conditions

Climate change and global warming will drastically impact daily life in the coming years and make it possible to work, travel, and safely extract and transport raw materials in the Arctic.

Recent US Geological Survey studies estimate that the Arctic accounts for about 13% of undiscovered oil, 30% of undiscovered natural gas, and 20% of undiscovered liquefied natural gas. Alaska-based mining is a $1 billion dollar business (largely from zinc), while Canada produces half a billion dollars of zinc, gold, lead, silver and iron ore.

A new Canadian mining project will build 150 km of railways and two new ports to access some $23 billion worth of iron ore 300 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, Northwest Russia continues to mine 25% of the world’s known minerals in hundreds of deposits.

The Arctic is currently the source of 10% of the world’s oil production and 25% of its gas production, with Russia alone producing 80% of its oil and 90% of its gas in high northern latitudes. Already, hundreds of oil and gas production sites are operating offshore and onshore in the North American and Eurasian Arctic regions.

ICEFLEX Cable from Nexans

The Far North contains 22% of the world’s undiscovered recoverable resources. Dozens of geographical sectors are now being prospected in the Mackenzie Delta−Beaufort Sea Basin, the Sverdrup Basin and the Barents Sea (e.g. the vast Shtokman field).

Once new resources are found, special technologies will be needed to adapt to Arctic conditions to assure safe and secure production, both off and onshore, and ensure environmental safety.

Accessibility to resources via northern shipping lanes requires a new generation of tankers, containerships, LNG carriers, deep-sea drilling and FPSO ships, supply ships, prospect and scientific vessels and even cruise ships for tourism. Also, oil & gas and mining needs rolling stock and port facilities which can function safely and reliably under extreme cold conditions.

Nexans ICEFLEX Cable

Technical Specification

Marine Energy Cable

A Cable For All Seasons, Conditions & Applications

As a ship designer, engineer, shipyard, installer, or offshore/onshore refinery, you want high-performance marine cables that will:

• meet the challenge of severe cold, storms and iceberg threats
• operate reliably in icy, snowy conditions for a variety of technical applications
• survive in exposed conditions onboard, topside or in frozen ground or permafrost
• adapt to abrupt temperature variations during the Spring and Autumn period
• safeguard the Arctic environment from chemical and biological threats
• protect crew, platform workers and personnel from fire, smoke and dangerous gases
• assure higher productivity and competitiveness in tough conditions
• support all exploration, extraction, refining and transportation activities
• provide sustainable new technologies for the economic viability of Arctic projects

Meet The Arctic Challenge

The Nexans Research Center has already developed various rubber-based cable products to operate at very low temperatures for shipbuilding, offshore, rolling stock, and wind turbine applications.

Understanding and mastering the factors determining the low-temperature resistance of halogen-free flame retardant rubbers was the key to success.

To meet the Arctic challenge, Nexans introduced the innovative ICEFLEX technology for ultra-cold cables. This is the first marine energy cable on the market qualified for use at -50°C. Normally cables become stiff and brittle in intense cold. However, this rubber-based cable remains highly flexible and resistant, while ensuring advanced fire performance.

ICEFLEX ultra cold cable meets the Arctic Challenge

ICEFLEX operates reliably in icy, snowy conditions for a variety of technical applications. It can survive in exposed conditions onboard, topside or in frozen ground or permafrost, and can adapt to abrupt temperature changes during the spring and autumn period, while protecting crew, platform workers and personnel from fire, smoke and corrosive gases.

The ability to comply with impact and bending tests at very low temperature, to withstand the aggression of chemical substances (from gear, hydraulic fluids to mineral oils) and not propagate fire are other outstanding achievements.

ICEFLEX will ensure that resources are extracted and transported safely to assure the sustainable development of the Arctic North. Nexans has already helped ice-protect  the Prirazlomnaya stationary oil platform in the Barents Sea with ICEFLEX.

ICEFLEX for shipbuilding & offshore/onshore

Nexans new ultra-cold-resistant rubber cable was designed for all shipboard and offshore/onshore applications. Not only can it maintain its properties down to -65°C, it is also fire-retardant and resists oils and aggressive chemicals and fluids.

The ability to withstand these environmental constraints is a major technical achievement which will make it easier to safely develop new oil and gas fields, shipping routes and refineries in the High Arctic.

ICEFLEX HFFR cable

Halogen-Free Flame & Fire Retardant (HFFR) cable is widely specified in shipbuilding and the oil and gas industry.

This product is fully certified by RMRS and is now commercially available to shipyards and refinery builders worldwide.

Benefits of Nexans ICEFLEX ultra-cold cable

• flexibility and high mobility is maintained down to -65°C and more for the life cycle of the cable
• EPR hydrocarbon rubber insulation combines unique electrical performance with mechanical toughness and resistance to atmospheric agents (ozone, UV, heat, etc.)
• EVA elastomer in the outer sheath resists the deteriorating influence of oils, chemicals, heat and extreme weather aggression
• fire-retardancy: the cables do not propagate smoke, fire, or generate toxic gases for personnel, and corrosive gases which can damage equipment
• fire-resistance: they maintain power supply for vital safety equipment (emergency lighting, alarm systems, fire pumps, communication circuits, etc.)
• high impact-resistance at ultra-cold conditions, meaning that they will neither crack nor break when subjected to sustained or violent physical shock (vibration, operational stress, iceberg impact)
• safety and security for all exploration, extraction, refining and transportation activities

Thorne & Derrick

T&D are Specialist Distributors to UK Distribution Network Operators (DNO’s), NERS Registered Service Providers, ICP’s and HV Jointing Contractors of an extensive range of LV, MV & HV Jointing, Earthing, Substation & Electrical Eqpt – this includes 11kV/33kV/66kV joints, terminations and connectors for both DNO and private network applications.

Contact our UK Power Team for competitive quotations, fast delivery from stock and technical support or training on all LV-HV products.

Key Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV 

 ➡ Read: Thorne & Derrick Announce Distribution Agreement & Contract With Nexans 

Further Reading

• ICEFLEX Cable from Nexans – Data Sheet Size: 316.21 KB