VBMS to Handle Cable Installation for Dutch Offshore Wind Farm

VBMS, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., has been awarded the Borssele Alpha contract in consortium with NKT Cables by TenneT for the installation of two export cables that will connect the Borssele offshore wind farms 1 and 2 to TenneT’s onshore grid in the Netherlands.

The contract value of VBMS’ share is approximately EUR 70 million. Separately, the option has been awarded for the installation of the export cables that will connect the Borssele offshore wind farms 3 and 4 to the Dutch onshore grid (Borssele Beta), subject to financial close.

The grid connection of the Borssele offshore wind area in the North Sea consists of two 700 MW connections, called Alpha (for Borssele 1 and 2) and Beta (for Borssele 3 and 4). The contract for the Alpha export cabling scope entails the supply and installation of two 61-kilometer-long export cables. The cables will be routed via the Western Skeldt estuary and will come ashore near the existing high-voltage substation at Borssele, the Netherlands.

In order to execute the project in a safe and efficient manner, VBMS has taken full advantage of the expertise and capabilities within the Boskalis group. To minimize maintenance to the cables during their operational lifetime, Boskalis will pre-sweep and dredge the shallow parts of the route, which will enable VBMS to simultaneously lay and bury the export cables at the required depth. The project is scheduled to be carried out in the period 2018-2019.

For more information, visit www.vbms.com.