The Nemo Link interconnector will deliver a 1,000MW electricity link between the UK and Belgium
November 09, 2015
DeepOcean 1 UK Ltd has been awarded a contract for the provision of all the marine works for the Nemo Link interconnector project. The contract was awarded by J-Power Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. The Nemo Link interconnector will deliver a 1,000MW electricity link between the UK and Belgium. The link will increase energy security for both countries and support integration of renewable energy. It has been designated as one of the European Commission’s ‘Projects of Common Interest’ as it will help create an integrated European energy market.
The Nemo Link will consist of subsea and underground cables connected to a converter station and an electricity substation in each country, which will allow electricity to flow in either direction between the two countries. The site for the converter station and electricity substation in the UK is a site formerly occupied by the Richborough Power Station. A similar converter station and substation is being built in the industry zone in Herdersbrug in Bruges, Belgium. Nemo Link will be the world’s first use of HVDC XLPE cables at 400kV.
DeepOcean will execute all marine works associated with the installation and protection of the HVDC bundled cables from the transition joint bay in Kent, UK to the transition joint bay in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The project will be executed over a three year period starting in 2016 with the offshore works completing in 2018. In addition to the installation and trenching of the bundled cable system, the work scope includes route surveys and engineering, a pipelay grappling run, out of service cable clearance, pre-sweeping in sand wave areas and crossings construction.
The bundled HVDC cables will be installed by Maersk Connector, DeepOcean’s newbuild vessel which is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2016. The burial of the cables will be undertaken by DeepOcean’s T3200 mechanical and jetting trenching vehicle. Protection of the cables in water depths of less than 10m will be undertaken by DeepOcean’s T2 tracked mechanical and jetting vehicle that has an extensive track record of trenching in varying seabed conditions.
