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Withdrawal of first sea cable at TenneT's Hollandse Kust (west Beta) starts

By: Chloe Emanuel 08/05/2024 TenneT

Cables General Windfarms

If the weather conditions are right at sea, the first sea cable for the Hollandse Kust (west Beta) offshore wind farm will be retracted under the dunes near Velsen early next week (Monday, May 13 / Tuesday, May 14). For this purpose, several ships will appear off the coast in the coming days. With the two electricity cables that will be installed in the beach and seabed in the coming weeks, TenneT will soon bring the energy from the offshore wind farm to land.

After the two successful drillings under the dunes, the conduits for the electricity cables are already in place. The first cable will be brought from the sea to the beach from the Giant 7 installation pontoon next week. For this purpose, there is already a 200-ton winch on the work site on the beach that, in addition to the cable, also pulls the cable burying machine to the beach.

“After the cable has been brought ashore, it is pulled into the empty sleeve with a winch - which is located behind the dunes in the Sculpture Park,” says project manager Robert Koens on behalf of client TenneT. “In the Sculpture Park, the three cores of the sea cable are connected in an underground socket with large terminal blocks to the electricity cables that have already been deployed on land. This is how the power comes out at our transformer station on Zeestraat in Wijk aan Zee.”

Immediately after retracting the first cable, contractor NBOS buries the first kilometers of the electricity cable in the beach and at sea. Koens: “The cables are laid at depth using the cofferdams on the beach. The Giant 7 then pulls the cable burial machine towards itself again over the seabed. Using powerful water jets, the machine then creates a slot in the seabed where the cable sinks. This slot then closes automatically.”

Once the first kilometers of cable have been buried, NBOS places the capped end on the seabed. Then this whole operation is repeated for the second cable. Koens: “We cordoned off the beach twice a week before retracting the cables. Water sports at sea within a designated zone are also not permitted during these weeks. Once move-in has begun, work on the beach and at sea continues 24/7 until the job is completed.”

To keep the Giant 7 in position, several anchors are deployed. Two of them come to the beach. There are also several pipes floating in the waves. Koens: “At sea, boats will monitor the NO GO zone and inform water sports enthusiasts where they can safely practice their sport. Beach visitors can always use the passage on the dune side. This is how we keep it safe for everyone.”

In anticipation of and during the work, flyers will be distributed on the beach in which all safety regulations are clearly stated. Koens: “We cordially invite anyone who would like to follow this technical tour de force live to our blue information container on the beach near De HangOut. From the roof terrace, visitors have a perfect view of the work site and the sea.”

To access more information on subsea cables for offshore wind and interconnector projects, as well as transmission intelligence, click here.

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Withdrawal of first sea cable at TenneT's Hollandse Kust (west Beta) starts

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