Siemens and Prysmian have secured contracts from power grid service provider Danish Energinet.dk and its Dutch counterpart TenneT TSO to build the 700MW power link for the transportation of renewable energy between the Dutch and Danish grids.
Italian company Prysmian will supply COpenhagen BRussels Amsterdam cable (COBRAcable) interconnector and carry out installation works, as part of a separate contract worth €250m.
Under the €170m contract, Siemens will provide two 700MW direct-current (HVDC) converter stations or a DC voltage of ±320kV at both sides of the DC power line, which will be routed as a subsea cable through the North Sea.
The convertor stations at Eemhaven, Holland, and Endrup, Denmark, will be connected by the 325km-long COBRA cable.
These stations will employ HVDC Plus voltage-sourced converters in a modular multilevel converter arrangement (VSC-MMC) that convert AC to DC and DC back to AC on the other side of the link.
The convertors have the ability to address grid faults and disturbances in the three-phase AC network.
TenneT CEO Mel Kroon said: "One main purpose of the COBRA cable is to promote competition in the Northwest European energy market, which will ultimately benefit consumers.
"Because we are directly linking the Dutch and Danish power grids, the security of supply for businesses and consumers in both countries will also increase. Plus the Netherlands will be able to import more renewable electricity, generated mainly by Danish wind turbine farms."
The HVDC Plus system works with power transistors, which when switched off, allows the commutation processes in the power converter to run independently of the grid voltage.
Energinet.dk will be responsible for installing the Siemens converter equipment at the Endrup station.
Siemens will supply the turn-key converter station in Eemshaven, in addition to designing, supplying, installing and commissioning all components.
The convertor stations between Denmark and Holland are also designated as one of the European Commission’s projects of common interest to create an integrated European Union energy market.
Image: The convertor stations at Eemhaven, Holland, and Endrup, Denmark, will be connected by the 325km-long COBRA cable. Photo: courtesy of Prysmian.