Prysmian bags $1.9bn grid connection contracts from TenneT
Pamela Largue
Posted on: 3 March 2023
Projects will link two offshore windfarms to help develop the North Sea "into the green power plant of Europe".
Cable systems provider Prysmian Group has been awarded contracts worth approximately €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion) by Dutch transmission system operator TenneT for two grid connection projects.
The IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 grid connection projects will link two future offshore wind farms located in the Dutch North Sea to the province of Zeeland located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands.
Prysmian Group will be responsible for the design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of two 525 kV HVDC submarine and land cable systems for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore wind farms, for a total of 4GW capacity.
The milestone projects will see Prysmian Group deploy their new 525 kV offshore cable technology for the first time.
The technology is designed to enable an increase in transmission capacity to 2 GW, which is more than double the value achieved with 320 kV DC systems.
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Tim Meyerjürgens, chief operating officer at TenneT, said: “Our qualification programme has shown that Prysmian is on track for this new offshore connection standard.
"By realising the world’s first 525 kV XLPE HVDC offshore cable systems to connect 2 GW projects, we jointly reconfirm our front runner position in offshore grid development and our commitment to deliver on the joint ambition to develop the North Sea into the green power plant of Europe.”
IJmuiden Ver Alpha is an offshore grid connection system with around 176 km of route length (of which about 164 km offshore), while Nederwiek 1 has a total route length of approximately 217 km (of which 208 km offshore).
Each cable system consists of two single-core 525 kV HVDC cables, one single-core metallic return cable and one fibre optic cable.
Marine installation operations will be performed by Prysmian's cable laying vessels and in partnership with Deme Group.
The delivery of the first connection is scheduled for 2029.
