Blue Offshore transports HKZ wind farm cables

July 28, 2020
Van Oord has contracted Blue Offshore to supply a full cable transport spread for both the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha and Beta campaigns.

Offshore staff

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands – Van Oord has contracted Blue Offshore to supply a full cable transport spread for both the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha and Beta campaigns.

On Sunday July 19, the tug Kamarina and barge CC Atlantique carrying more than 8,000 metric tons of high voltage cable arrived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The cables will form the connection of TenneT’s Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha platform to the onshore grid.

For this transport Blue Offshore mobilized what is said to be the world’s first certified double basket carrousel barge, with each carrousel carrying about 4,000 metric tons of cable. The transport took place from Hellenic Cables in Greece to the port of Rotterdam.

Van Oord charted the 122-m (400-ft) long CC Atlantique. Besides two large carousels and the dedicated control systems, Blue Offshore provided all deck engineering, technical crew and complete mobilization service.

The cables will soon be loaded onto Van Oord’s cable lay vessel Nexus for installation offshore in the Dutch North Sea. A spare cable will be delivered to TenneT in Eemshaven.

The Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha grid connection is expected to be ready in 2021. Beta is scheduled for completion in 2022. The HKZ wind parks will supply 1,500 MW of renewable energy, sufficient to power 3 million households. 

07/28/2020