4C Offshore Empowering Intelligence

TenneT contracts cable suppliers for 2 GW system

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 20/04/2020 TenneT

TenneT has contracted eight cable suppliers to develop a new standard for a submarine cable system. This new cable system is required for the planned 2 GW offshore grid connections in the Netherlands (IJmuiden Ver) and Germany (LanWin and Balwin), which set a new standard for connecting offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.


A 525 kV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) extruded submarine cable system with a 2 GW capacity has not yet been implemented in any project worldwide. The development programme should result in a certified cable system that TenneT can apply in the IJmuiden Ver, BalWin and LanWin projects and in others using the same power output and voltage. This is expected to reduce costs and minimise spatial impact.

The participating suppliers include: Hellenic Cables SA (Greece), LS Cable & System Ltd. (Korea), Nexans Norway AS (Norway), Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co., Limited (NBO) (China), NKT HV Cables AB (Sweden), Prysmian Powerlink Srl (Italy), Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd (Japan) and Zhongtian Technology Submarine Cable Co., Limited (ZTT) (China).

"It is very positive to see that multiple international cable suppliers are participating in this programme. It shows that the sector is keen to innovate together to produce a new standard for submarine cable systems substantially reducing cost for society,"
said Marco Kuijpers, Director Offshore Projects at TenneT.

To link 2 GW offshore grid connections to the onshore grid system, a suitable (new) certified cable system is required. This cable system will connect a 2 GW platform and a land station. To transport the required 2 GW power, a submarine cable system operating at a voltage level 525 kV DC using extruded insulation types is needed. All the participating cable suppliers will develop and test the cable system within the time frame for the 2 GW projects and TenneT will be in close contact with them during the entire process. TenneT expects that the development of the 525 kV DC submarine cable system will result in a certified cable system in Spring 2022.

The need to develop this submarine cable system is derived from the expectation that it will reduce manufacturing and installation costs, not only for the cable system itself but also for the entire grid concept, including the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) offshore platform and the HVDC land station. TenneT expects the bundled installation to achieve significant cost reductions.


Besides reducing installation costs, it is also expected to reduce dredging costs because all cables can be put in a single trench. This approach also results in fewer platforms and land stations, which is not only interesting in financial terms but also ensures that TenneT causes lower emissions and has less spatial and environmental impact.


TenneT currently operates a total of twelve offshore grid connection systems for the transmission of wind energy from the German North Sea to land. It now delivers a total capacity of 7,132 MW of offshore wind energy.


For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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