A consortium consisting of DEME and leading cable producer Hellenic Cables has been awarded a large contract (1) for the supply and installation of the high-voltage subsea cables for the Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian North Sea. The energy island, developed by grid operator Elia, is a world first and will become the cornerstone of a European high-voltage grid at sea.
"With this new project, we have confirmed our leading position in the subsea power cable market," explains CEO Luc Vandenbulcke. "We are currently working on the largest inter-array cabling project for Dogger Bank Wind Farm - the biggest wind farm in the world - and earlier this year, we won major contracts for IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1. Our expertise in cable installation, dredging, rock dumping, and marine infrastructure works combined with our modern and versatile fleet offers our customers an efficient, integrated solution. This is how we are supporting the energy transition and helping countries achieve their climate goals."
Subsea high-voltage cables for Princess Elisabeth Island
The scope for the Princess Elisabeth Island contract comprises the design, supply and installation of the high-voltage subsea power cables connecting the energy island with the Belgian onshore electricity grid. As the leader in the consortium, DEME will deploy one of its cable installation vessels, as well as several trailing suction hopper dredgers and jack-up vessels on the project.
The cables, which will cover 165 km, will be produced at the Hellenic Cables factory in Greece, with the transport and installation campaign planned for 2027. Located 45 km from the Belgian coast, the energy island is a crucial first building block of a European offshore electricity grid. DEME, as part of the Belgian consortium TM EDISON, secured the contract from Elia to construct the island in early 2023. The first caissons for the energy island are scheduled to be immersed this year.
This is the second cable contract awarded by Elia. In 2019, DEME successfully carried out the installation of 85 km of export cable for Elia’s Modular Offshore Grid (MOG 1).
