General – Cable Installation
Belgian electricity transmission system operator Elia Transmission Belgium (ETB) has awarded the contracts for the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) parts of the future Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian North Sea.
The HVAC cable contracts have been awarded to two consortia: one comprising Belgian group DEME and Greek company Hellenic Cables (165 km), and a second made up of Belgian firm Jan De Nul and Korean corporation LS Cable & System (165 km).
The contract for HVAC substations has been awarded to the HIS consortium consisting of Belgian company Iemants (Smulders) and Dutch firms HSM Offshore Energy and IV-Offshore & Energy. DEME confirms contract for subsea cables installation
The energy island, developed by grid operator Elia, is a world first and will become the cornerstone of a European high-voltage grid at sea.
“With this new project, we have confirmed our leading position in the subsea power cable market,” explains CEO Luc Vandenbulcke. “We are currently working on the largest inter-array cabling project for Dogger Bank Wind Farm – the biggest wind farm in the world – and earlier this year, we won major contracts for IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1. Our expertise in cable installation, dredging, rock dumping, and marine infrastructure works combined with our modern and versatile fleet offers our customers an efficient, integrated solution. This is how we are supporting the energy transition and helping countries achieve their climate goals.”
The scope for the Princess Elisabeth Island contract comprises the design, supply and installation of the high-voltage subsea power cables connecting the energy island with the Belgian onshore electricity grid.
As the leader in the consortium, DEME will deploy one of its cable installation vessels, as well as several trailing suction hopper dredgers and jack-up vessels on the project, with the transport and installation campaign planned for 2027.
The cables, which will cover 165 km, will be produced at the Hellenic Cables factory in Greece, with the transport and installation campaign planned for 2027. Located 45 km from the Belgian coast, the energy island is a crucial first building block of a European offshore electricity grid. DEME, as part of the Belgian consortium TM EDISON, secured the contract from Elia to construct the island in early 2023. The first caissons for the energy island are scheduled to be immersed this year.
Jan De Nul says it will deploy its cable-laying vessels Connector and Willem de Vlamingh, offshore support vessel Adhémar de Saint-Venant and trailing suction hopper dredgers for its work slated to take place in 2028.
This is the second cable contract awarded by Elia. In 2019, DEME successfully carried out the installation of 85 km of export cable for Elia’s Modular Offshore Grid (MOG 1).
