Dutch 2 GW HVDC Projects
TenneT choseย Prysmian Groupย andย NKTย to supply five 525 kV XLPE HVDC cable links for Dutch 2 GW offshore projects. Prysmian will handle IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1, which land at Sloegebied in Zeeland. NKT will cover IJmuiden Ver Beta, IJmuiden Ver Gamma, and Nederwiek 2, which come ashore at Maasvlakte near Rotterdam. Onshore cable work starts in 2025. Offshore installation then follows in 2026.
TenneT says close cooperation with both suppliers helped set a new global standard for 525 kV XLPE HVDC offshore cables. Its qualification program shows they can meet this tougher requirement, so they are ready to support the next wave of large offshore links.
Prysmianโs Scope
Prysmianโs contracts for IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 total 4 GW of capacity. The scope includes two 525 kV HVDC submarine and land cable systems, plus fiber optic cables and accessories. IJmuiden Ver Alpha runs about 176 km, with roughly 164 km offshore. Nederwiek 1 spans roughly 217 km, including about 208 km offshore.
Prysmian will manufacture the submarine cables in Pikkala, Finland, and Arco Felice, Italy. It will produce the land cables in Gron, France. The first grid link should be ready in 2029, and the second should follow in 2030.
NKTโs Scope
NKT will supply about 1,700 km of 525 kV XLPE HVDC cable for IJmuiden Ver Beta, Gamma, and Nederwiek 2. Together, these three links add 6 GW of capacity. Cable production runs from 2024 to 2027, with commissioning targeted between 2028 and 2030. The company also plans to use some recycled metal in the conductors to reduce environmental impact.
NKT will produce the cables at its highโvoltage factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, which uses renewable electricity. It will install the submarine sections with its cableโlaying vessel NKT Victoria, giving TenneT a combined manufactureโandโinstall solution.
Supporting North Sea Offshore Wind
The six wind farms in the IJmuiden Ver and Nederwiek zones will provide 12 GW of total capacity. These projects support Europeโs energy transition and help the Netherlands move toward a goal of about 21 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
By deploying the worldโs first 525 kV XLPE HVDC offshore cable systems, TenneT underscores its ambition to turn the North Sea into a โgreen power plantโ for Europe. In the coming months, it plans to select more partners under framework agreements for additional 2 GW HVDC systems and cable links.
