TenneT has launched a 2GW cable tender for offshore grid connections in the North Sea.
The tender for high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables will increase and bundle electricity transmission capacities and reduce environmental impact, the grid operator said.
“With our second large-scale EU tender this summer, we, as a cross-border transmission system operator, are once again giving the offshore market an important boost in terms of investment security, employment and the plannable development of resources and supply chains,” said TenneT COO Tim Meyerjürgens.
“At the same time, the framework agreement secures cable orders for at least 10 offshore grid connections in the German and Dutch North Sea for our innovative 2 gigawatt program.
“We are thus consistently pursuing our new path of cooperation with industrial partners in order to meet the challenges of the ambitious offshore expansion targets set by the governments of Germany and the Netherlands.”
At present, TenneT’s connection capacity is around 7.2GW in the German North Sea and around 2.8GW in the Dutch North Sea.
TenneT’s 2GW initiative is critical to it achieving 2030 offshore expansion targets.
Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium have agreed to install at least 65GW of offshore wind energy together by 2030 (Esbjerg Declaration).
At 40GW, almost two-thirds of this is accounted for by TenneT, with 20GW each in the German and Dutch North Seas.
Above this, Energy Ministers from the members of the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) and the European Commission have recently announced a significant increase in their collective ambition in the deployment of offshore renewable energy until 2050.
The challenge is immense, said TenneT, with the new approach providing both growth opportunities and maximum planning security for all supply chains involved, it added.
TenneT plans to agree a second cooperation with key market partners for a period of up to eight years.
This agreement covers the 525 kV subsea cables for laying between the offshore converter platforms in the North Sea to the coast, as well as the underground cables from the coast to the onshore converter stations.
Meyerjürgens added: “TenneT had already published its first large-scale EU tender in the offshore sector in June.
“This tender focused on the offshore converter platforms and the onshore converter stations.
“That was the first step, and now we are following up with another large-scale tender for our innovative 525 kV cable system.
“Together, the two tenders offer a holistic and concrete action plan to further accelerate the offshore grid expansion in the North Sea as Europe’s wind power plant.
“With our new 2GW standard for offshore grid connection systems, we have provided the blueprint for this grid expansion.
“With our framework agreements, we are now initiating the necessary market approach to deliver safely and sustainably – in time, scope and budget.”