ABB wins $80 million order to connect new offshore windfarm to the Belgian grid
ABB has won an order worth around $80 million from Rentel NV in Belgium to deliver an advanced cable system that will connect the offshore substation at the Rentel windfarm located off the Belgian coastline to the mainland close to Zeebrugge. The order was booked in the first quarter of 2016.
ABB will design, manufacture and install the approximately 40 kilometer long extruded three-core 220-kilovolt alternating current (AC) submarine cable system which will have a transmission capacity of around 300 megawatts. The energy transmitted to shore from this windfarm will contribute to a greener power supply in Belgium, capable of providing enough electricity to meet the needs of around 280,000 households. The cable system installation will be executed by ABB’s new state-of-the-art vessel which will enhance efficiency and precision of the cable laying operations. The project is scheduled to be commissioned in 2018.
The Rentel windfarm connection in the Belgian North Sea will play a significant role in meeting Belgium’s environmental objectives for 2020, specifically to increase the share of renewable energy to 13 percent of total energy production. It will also support the European Union’s environmental targets for 2020.
“The Rentel windfarm cable link will help bring clean wind power to the people of Belgium” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Grids division. “It is another example of ABB technologies that enable the integration of renewable energy and lower the environmental impact, which is an integral element of the company’s Next Level strategy.”
Cable systems are significant components of sustainable energy networks, transmitting vast amounts of electricity over long distances. With experience dating back to 1883, ABB is a global leader in high-voltage cable systems across numerous applications and has commissioned hundreds links around the world. ABB has won several cable projects connecting offshore windfarms, including Burbo Bank and Walney in the Irish Sea, Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea and Nordegründe in the North Sea.
