NKT Secures Record-breaking High-Voltage Power Cable Deals in Dutch North Sea

Offshore cable firm NKT has secured three turnkey high-voltage power cable projects for the IJmuiden Ver and Nederwiek offshore wind zones in the Netherlands. 

The company said the projects have a combined order value of approximately EUR 2 billion, making the award a new company record for NKT as the largest combination of orders ever received.

The wind zones are located in the Dutch part of North Sea, where the Dutch-German Transmission System Operator (TSO) TenneT is preparing the grid connection for several offshore wind farms. NKT has been awarded the turnkey projects to design, produce, install and commission approx.1,700 km of 525 kV XLPE high-voltage direct current (HVDC) covering both on- and offshore power cable systems for the project lots Beta, Gamma and Nederwiek 2 with total installed capacity of 6 GW.

In order to decrease carbon emissions, NKT said it planned to use a partial amount of recycled metal for the conductors and manufacture the cables at the high-voltage factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, which is running on renewable electricity. 

Furthermore, installation is planned to be done by NKT Victoria, which the company says is one of the most advanced and fuel-efficient cable laying vessels in the industry.

The six wind farms in the IJmuiden Ver and Nederwiek Offshore Wind Zones have a total capacity of 12 GW. 

The zones are key in supporting the European transition to renewable energy and play an integral part in realizing the Dutch ambition of having 21 GW offshore wind installed around 2030.  

Tim Meyerjürgens, COO TenneT says: "Recent geopolitical developments have again underlined the need to invest in electricity transmission, to ensure energy security by accelerating the energy transition. 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."

Production of the power cables for the three projects are scheduled to start between 2024-27 with expected commissioning in 2028-30, NKT said.

Worth noting, TenneT also awarded a EUR 1.8 billion contract to cable maker Prysmian. Read more here.