TenneT has awarded NKT, Nexans, and a consortium of Jan De Nul, LS Cable, and Denys contracts to install 525 kV HVDC cable systems for ten projects.
The total volume of the contracts for the production and installation of the ten cable systems amounts to approximately € 5.5 billion.
"With this agreement, TenneT completes the process of the large-scale tender cable launched in November 2022 for grid connection systems dedicated to a total of fourteen offshore and one onshore corridor project," TenneT said.
NKT will realize the connections for Nederwiek 3, landing onshore at either Geertruidenberg or Moerdijk, and the connections for Doordewind 1 and Doordewind 2, landing at Eemshaven, in the Netherlands.
Nexans has been awarded a contract for the cable connections of BalWin3 and LanWin4, to be connected at Wilhelmshaven as well as LanWin2 in Lower Saxony, to be connected in the Heide area in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The consortium of Jan De Nul, LS Cable and Denys will realize the cable connections in Lower Saxony, to BalWin4 and LanWin1, both to be connected in Unterweser area, and LanWin5 in the Rastede area.
This consortium has also been awarded the contract for the TenneT part of the onshore 525 kV DC corridor NordOstLink in Schleswig-Holstein Germany, a partner project with 50Hertz.
The scope of work of the contracts includes cable design, engineering, production, delivery, project management, onshore-, offshore- and nearshore installation of 525 kV HVDC cables, and all jointing works in submarine and on land sections.
The selected parties expect to start activities in the course of 2023. The expected start for onshore cable laying activities will be after 2025. For the offshore scope, the cable laying activities will be in 2026.
All 2 GW offshore projects are expected to be operational by 2031. The NordOstLink project is expected to be operational in 2032.
Tim Meyerjürgens, COO TenneT said: “After recently awarding of the first five cable connections and the announcement of the suppliers for the sea- and land-based converter stations, we are again very proud to announce the partners for the multi-year agreement to produce and install the cables for these crucial and innovative grid connection systems for the energy transition. Together, we will deliver around 7,000 kilometres of HVDC cable for fifteen on- and offshore grid connection systems in Germany and the Netherlands by 2032 with this award alone.”
According to TenneT, new to the 2 GW direct current (HVDC) solution based on 525 kV is that it requires only one cable system, and "therefore limits the impact on the environment, on nature and the seabed."
The cable system will consist of four cables, a 'plus' and 'minus' pole cable, a metallic return cable, and a fibre optic cable.
With twice the size of current connection systems, the new 2 GW standard needs an offshore cable system operating at a 525 kV HVDC voltage level and uses innovative extruded insulation types, TenneT said.