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Prysmian: Pikkala plant exemplifies company’s ‘net zero’ focus
A Prysmian Group cable vessel leaves the company’s submarine cable plant in Pikkala, Finland. Photo courtesy of Prysmian. Just how important is the above-pictured submarine cable plant in Pikkala, Kirkkonummi, Finland? In the 2020 Annual Report of the Prysmian Group, the plant was singled out on page 7—before the Table of Contents—of the 260-page document. It also was praised by Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin at a May 22 visit. Pikkala is responsible for the production of high-, medium- and low-voltage land and submarine cables. The plant is strategic for the Prysmian Group because it is a center of excellence for production of cables employed for land and submarine interconnections, for both onshore and offshore wind farms all over the world. It is one of Prysmian Group’s four submarine cable plants in Europe, along with Arco Felice (Naples), Nordenham (Germany) and Drammen (Norway). Prysmian leads the renewable energy market in Finland and is supplying cables for many onshore wind projects in the country. The Pikkala plant, which has some 500 employees, has supplied cables for many European offshore wind farm projects including Helwin 1 and Helwin 2, Borwin 3, and Dolwin 3 and Dolwin 5, as well as many submarine interconnections like COBRA and IFA2. It will supply U.S. offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind with a submarine power cable system for a wind farm off the shore of Massachusetts. Throughout the years, the Prysmian Group has continuously invested in the Pikkala plant which is considered its flagship factory for energy transition. Thanks to its green energy consumption, 100% of the energy used there will be from certified renewable sources. The plant’s new on-site biomass heating system cut its annual CO2 emissions, using recycled wood from sources such as Prysmian’s own cable
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transport drums after they become unsuitable for industrial use, one of the steps Prysmian Group is taking on its “race to net-zero.” To further reduce carbon emissions, Pikkala’s corporate auto fleet is now made up of hybrid or electric vehicles, reflecting the Group’s overall targets. A spokesman said that Prysmian was “very pleased to be contributing to the circular economy with this new heating solution.” The plant has long served its purpose. “To now achieve ‘net zero’ carbon status was ‘a win-win solution’: it has benefits for the environment while reducing the Group’s energy costs.” Using renewable energy at Pikkala will help Prysmian Group meet several goals on its Sustainability Scorecard for 2022: to cut CO2 emissions by 2-3%; to recycle as much as two-thirds of its own waste; and to reuse 27% of its own drums. Starting from 2020 for the next three years, Prysmian will invest around €450 million to further improve the sustainability of its organization and supply chain, and to accelerate the development of advanced cable technologies as well as assets and services. Prysmian Group has adopted ambitious climate strategy adopting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement. It has endorsed the Business Ambition (1.5°C) with the “net zero” target between 2035 and 2040 for emissions generated by its operations (Scope 1 and 2) and by 2050 for emissions generated by the value chain (Scope 3). “We are accelerating our commitment to de-carbonization,” said Andrea Pirondini, North America CEO. “We aim to set science-based carbon reduction targets and will calculate supply-chain emissions (Scope 3) along with those produced directly by the Group. In the meantime, we want to implement new circular energy systems in our plants like the one at Pikkala.”
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