Danish manufacturer NKT has signed large AC onshore cable order with Belgian TSO Elia Transmission Belgium (ETB) to support grid upgrades in the country.
As part of ETB’s Federal Development Plan for 2024-2034 to strengthen Belgium’s transmission grid, NKT will supply 545km of high-voltage power wires.
The order has been received under an existing framework agreement between NKT and ETB and is adding to an order of 72km of 380kV AC onshore power lines recently awarded under the same agreement.
“Electricity grids are the backbone of modern society, so upgrading and modernizing them to support future demand and loads is vital,” said HV Solutions Cologne executive vice president Lukas Sidler.
“We are proud of our long-term relationship with Elia Transmission Belgium to support their efforts to upgrade the Belgian grid.
“This is one of the largest orders in the segment 70kV and 150kV AC onshore NKT has ever received and shows the importance of the lower high-voltage levels in the transmission grid.”
ETB chief executive Frederic Dunon added: “With this order, we take an important step towards meeting our customers’ demands.
“Each step that will be taken in the coming years will be crucial and enormous. The broad scope of this order is the best testimony to this.
“We are therefore delighted with our continued collaboration with NKT, a partner with whom we are used to working with and who have demonstrated unfailing reliability and expertise.”
The power cables will be produced at NKT’s Cologne, Germany, and Velke Meziříčí, Czech Republic, factories, with delivery and installation planned from 2025-2027.