TenneT, the Dutch-German transmission system operator, has signed a framework cooperation agreement for the installation of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable systems for at least ten offshore wind projects in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as one onshore project in Germany, until 2031.

The €5.5bn ($6.2bn) deal, which was awarded to NKT, Nexans and a consortium of Jan De Nul Group, LS Cable & System and Denys, aims to supply six German and three Dutch 2GW offshore grid connection systems by 2031, as well as an onshore project in Germany called NordOstLink, which will be operational in 2032. In total, the deal covers around 7,000 km of HVDC cables, including cable design, engineering, production, delivery, project management, onshore-, offshore- and nearshore installation of 525 kV HVDC cables, and all jointing works in submarine and on land sections.

The multi-year agreement secures growth opportunities along the supply chain, maximises planning security and triggers incentives for further investments in capacity. Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT, said the deal confirmed the company's "strong position in the high-voltage DC power cable market" and that the company would deliver around 7,000 km of HVDC cable for 15 on- and offshore grid connection systems in Germany and the Netherlands by 2032 with this award alone. Marco Kuijpers, director of large projects offshore at TenneT, added that the new tender approach had helped to speed up the process, with agreements reached with all suppliers in six months, something which would normally have taken much longer.

Source: TenneT