NKT to Deliver Cables for Bornholm Energy Island Interconnection

Danish power cable maker and services provider NKT has signed a contract with Energinet to deliver a HVDC power cable system for the offshore interconnector linking the Bornholm Energy Island to the power grid on Zealand.

Energinet, the Danish transmission system operator (TSO), has selected NKT to provide the 525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) on- and offshore power cable systems for the Danish connection to the Bornholm Energy Island.

The contract has a value of around $757 million (€650 million) and comprises design, manufacturing, and installation of a power cable system comprising 200 km offshore route and 16.8 km onshore route.

Offshore installation is planned to be carried out by the new vessel, NKT Eleonora, currently under construction. Once operational in 2027, the vessel will be one of the most advanced and fuel-efficient cable layers in the industry.

Bornholm Energy Island is a landmark renewable energy project located in the Baltic Sea, designed to receive up to 3.8 GW of offshore wind power from planned offshore wind farms.

The energy will be transmitted to Germany and Denmark via two HVDC offshore interconnector systems.

With this award from Energinet, NKT will connect the energy island to both the Danish and German power grids. This follows the turnkey contract awarded to NKT in 2023 as part of a large framework agreement with German TSO 50Hertz to connect the island to the German grid.

“We are delighted and proud to continue the long-term collaboration with Energinet on this innovative and ambitious project strengthening the interconnection between Denmark and Germany.

“Bornholm Energy Island is a key project for Europe to enhance energy security and the exchange of renewable energy. With this award, we reaffirm our strong commitment to building the sustainable and secure energy infrastructure Europe needs, and demonstrate our proven high-voltage power cable capabilities,” said Claes Westerlind, President and CEO at NKT

To decrease carbon emissions, NKT will produce the power cables at its high-voltage factory in Karlskrona, which operates on renewable electricity and is located close to the installation site in the North Sea, reducing the carbon footprint from transportation.