DEME, a Belgium-based marine contractor, has secured two contracts from cable manufacturer Prysmian for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems in the Netherlands.
These contracts are valued at more than €300m. They also mark the company's first project involving Prysmian's 525kV HVDC cable technology, which allows for enhanced transmission capacity.
DEME will be responsible for the engineering and installation of two 12km-long 525kV HVDC cable systems within lake Veerse Meer and a 126km HVDC cable system offshore.
DEME's role extends to preparatory and support tasks for IJmuiden Ver Alpha, including route preparation, surveys, landfalls and rock placement.
Additionally, the company will conduct pre-sweeping and rock placement for the Nederwiek 1 project.
It will utilise a diverse range of vessels from its fleet, such as cable installation vessels, hopper dredgers and a fallpipe vessel.
The project will also include beach works and the construction of cofferdam structures at the cable landing sites.
DEME Offshore business unit director Philip Scheers said: “We are proud to be working with Prysmian on this landmark project in the Netherlands, which will ultimately deliver 4GW of clean energy. This multidisciplinary project showcases the benefits of working with DEME. Our expertise in cable installation, dredging, rock placement and marine infrastructure works allows us to offer our clients an efficient, integrated solution.
“Our modern and versatile fleet is also ideally suited for such a complex project. We can provide cable installation vessels, hopper dredgers and fallpipe vessels, all of which are operated by our own highly skilled and experienced crews. The entire team is looking forward to working closely with Prysmian to deliver a successful project.”
IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1, operated by Dutch-German electricity network operator TenneT, will connect two offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea to the province of Zeeland.
The commencement of the work is planned in stages, starting from 2025.
The first connection is expected to be operational by 2029, with the second following in 2030.
IJmuiden Ver Alpha has a total route length of nearly 176km, and Nederwiek 1 is about 217km in length.
In March 2023, TenneT awarded contracts for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek I projects to Prysmian and NKT, with a combined value of around €1.8bn.
