Italy-based Prysmian Group has received a letter of award from National Grid Viking Link Limited and Energinet, for the development of Viking Link, the first submarine cable connection between the UK and Denmark.
Worth close to EUR 700 million, the contract includes the turn-key design, manufacture, and installation of the world’s longest interconnector with the entire 1,250-kilometre cable for the submarine route and all of the approximately 135 kilometres of land cables on the UK side.
“We are proud to have the opportunity to support two of our most important customers, National Grid and Energinet, in the development of such a strategic infrastructure, which will represent a milestone for the upgrade of the entire EU power transmission grid,” said Valerio Battista , CEO Prysmian Group.
The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) interconnector will operate at ± 525 kV DC and will allow up to 1,400MW of power to be transferred between the two countries passing through UK, Dutch, German and Danish waters, using single-core, mass-impregnated paper-insulated cables.
The HVDC cable system will connect the converter station located at Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire, UK, to the converter station located at Revsing in southern Jutland, Denmark, with the aim of increasing access to renewable and sustainable energy sources to more than 1.4 million households.
“This project further confirms our undisputed market and technology leadership. Our commitment is to ensure all the resources needed to support our customers in the transition to a more sustainable and smarter energy scenario” said Hakan Ozmen , EVP Projects, Prysmian Group.
All cables will be manufactured at Prysmian’s centre of excellence in Arco Felice, Italy. The offshore cable operations will be performed using Prysmian’s new, EUR 170-million installation vessel.
NKT will manufacture and deliver the onshore cables to be installed in Denmark. Commissioning of the Viking Link project is scheduled for the end of 2023.