Jan de Nul Group and LS Cable & Systems completed the installation of the first sea cable for the Hollandse Kust (west Alpha) connection for TenneT. The second connection will be installed next year.
In recent weeks, over sixty kilometres of cable were laid in the seabed between Heemskerk beach and the jacket of the offshore transformer platform which had been installed mid-August last year. The installation was performed using the cable-laying vessel Connector and the remote-controlled cable-laying vehicle UTV1200.
With over sixty kilometres of marine cable on board, the cable-laying vessel Connector from contractor Jan de Nul’s fleet appeared off the coast of Heemskerk/Wijk aan Zee in mid-December.
Capped
Earlier last year, Jan de Nul pulled the two sea cables for ‘west Alpha’ from the Heemskerk beach into the jacket pipes under the dunes and the first kilometres of cables were laid capped in the seabed. Some five kilometres from the beach, Jan de Nul pulled up the capped section of the first cable for ‘west Alpha’ in mid-December. On board the Connector, the end was then connected to the cable on board.
Turntable
Following the connection by South Korean cable manufacturer LS Cable & Systems, the cable was placed back on the seabed. At the same time, Jan de Nul’s work vessel Adhémar de Saint-Venant appeared offshore with the unmanned cable-laying vehicle the UTV1200 on board. As soon as the Connector set sail, the cable slowly unwound from the large turntable on board. Followed a short distance away by the Adhémar to control the UTV1200, which then laid the cable into the seabed.
Next spring, Jan de Nul, using the cable-laying vessel Isaac Newton, will retrieve the remaining section for the second sea cable in South Korea so that this cable section can be installed.
700 MW
This summer, TenneT will have the topside installed on the jacket for (west Alpha). The offshore station, with a capacity of 700 MW, will be able to bring the energy renewable wind energy ashore via this ‘socket’ from next year. Source: TenneT Image ©: Flying Focus
