French company Nexans launches low-carbon grid cable

French cable and fiber optics company Nexans has launched a new range of low-carbon distribution network cables, the first on the French market. The company's new approach reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of its low- and medium-voltage cables by 35-50%, depending on the product.

Currently, manufacturing one kilometer of cable produces two to three times more carbon dioxide than the average French citizen emits annually. These emissions come primarily from aluminum conductors, which alone account for 70-90% of the total footprint, followed by plastics, transportation and manufacturing processes.

To reduce the carbon footprint of its products, Nexans has adapted its value chain: it now uses 100% low-carbon aluminum, in line with the Aluminum Forward 2030 Alliance’s decarbonization standards. It uses up to 50% recycled plastic in insulation and sheathing. It applies various decarbonization measures to its manufacturing processes and transportation. It selects suppliers based on their environmental performance. It manufactures all its products at its Jeumont and Bourg en Bresse plants in France.

But cables’ environmental impact extends beyond their manufacture. About 90% of emissions are produced after grid cables are put into use, caused by accumulated power losses over decades of use, known as the "Joule effect".

Therefore, Nexans has designed a range of solutions to produce low carbon grid cables throughout their life cycle. It will provide engineering studies to determine the optimal cable type and cross-section throughout the life cycle based on the application. It is offering new technologies such as the EDRMAX medium-voltage cable, which thanks to its reinforced jacket can be buried as-is without the need for a sand bed, thus reducing CO2 emissions generated during installation by 10%. It has digital solutions to improve customers' productivity, such as the ULTRACKER series. RecyCâbles, a joint venture between Nexans and French utility SUEZ, has designed technology to recycle copper and aluminum cables.

Nexans’ carbon emissions trajectory is validated by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which targets an annual emissions reduction of 4.2% between 2019 and 2030.