The installation of underground cables for three offshore wind farm connections at Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam is entering its final phase. Following the completion of the final horizontal directional drilling operation, the remaining cables will be installed, with all onshore cables expected to be in place by early 2027.
The final drilling operation is taking place near the Coloradoviaduct on the N15, along the route between the Amaliahaven high-voltage substation and the converter station for the IJmuiden Ver Beta offshore grid connection. The drilling will complete the installation of the underground ducts through which the electricity cables will be pulled.
At Amaliahaven and the IJmuiden Ver Beta converter station, preparations are under way for installing the remaining cables. Elsewhere along the several-kilometre route, individual cable sections are being connected in specially constructed joint bays to form continuous connections. The cables are also being routed into the stations.
Once the final cables have been installed and connected, the temporary work sites will be cleared and the surrounding areas reinstated. Contractor NRG expects to complete its work at Maasvlakte in 2027.
The onshore infrastructure will connect the IJmuiden Ver Beta, IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek 2 offshore grid connections to the Dutch high-voltage electricity network. Each connection will have a capacity of up to 2 GW, giving a combined capacity of 6 GW.
Electricity generated by the offshore wind farms will be transported to Maasvlakte as direct current (DC). Converter stations will convert it into alternating current (AC) for transmission through the Dutch high-voltage grid. From the Amaliahaven substation, electricity will be distributed further inland and to new grid connections in the Port of Rotterdam area.
Maasvlakte, Netherlands, offshorewind, cables, TenneT
