Dutch-German grid operator TenneT is building a new onshore high voltage connection in the Netherlands to help deliver power from offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
The 65km, 380kV line will run from the coastal Beverwijk municipality south to Bleiswijk, which is near The Hague.
TenneT said the grid wire, 20km of which will be underground, is its largest onshore line in the country to date and will also ensure security of electricity supply in the Randstad area.
“The majority of the (underground) 20km 380kV connection lies in slots at an average depth of approximately two metres,” said TenneT.
“In places where this is not possible, for example when crossing a watercourse, the cable is drilled at a depth of 10 to 35 metres. The 380kV cables weigh around 50 kilos per metre.”
An international research programme led by the Delft and Eindhoven technical universities with TenneT and Austrian network operator APG will monitor the behaviour of the cables once installed.
The Randstad project will be completed in the third quarter of 2019.