Belgian marine contractor DEME has been awarded two contracts by cable solutions provider Prysmian for the engineering and installation works on two offshore grid systems in the Netherlands.
The contract for the work on the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems is the most extensive cabling award in DEME’s history. Prysmian won the tender for this project in March 2023.
IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 are offshore grid connection systems operated by TenneT. The two grid connection systems will connect its namesake offshore wind areas – Ijmuiden Ver and Nederwiek – in the Dutch North Sea to the province of Zeeland in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The first connection will be operational in 2029, and the second in 2030.
Each wind energy area consists of three wind farms with a capacity of 2GW each. This means that a total of 6GW of green energy will be generated per wind energy area.
To bring wind energy to land, three 2GW connections are needed per area. From the first area, IJmuiden Ver Alpha, Beta, and Gamma will connect the wind farms to land while the second will utilise the Nederwiek 1, 2, and 3 connections.
The contracts awarded to DEME include cable installation, landfall and rock placement, dredging, and marine infrastructure works. This includes the engineering and the installation works of two 12-km long 525 kV HVDC cable systems within the Veerse Meer lake and 126 km of 525 kV HVDC cable system offshore.
DEME will also carry out preparation and supporting works for IJmuiden Ver Alpha, comprising route preparation, surveys, landfalls and rock placement, as well as pre-sweeping and rock placement works for the Nederwiek 1 project. Furthermore, the project will encompass the beach works and cofferdam structures at the cable landing locations.
The Belgian firm will deploy a variety of vessels from its fleet, including cable installation vessels, hopper dredgers, and a fallpipe vessel.
The work is scheduled to begin in stages from 2025. According to DEME, the two contracts combined qualify as a large contract, representing a value of more than €300m (over $320m).
