Export cables, 2GW Program, Germany

The energy transition is picking up speed. Grid operators such as TenneT are focusing on framework contracts to realise efficient installation campaigns and are innovating at full speed. The goal? To bring sustainable wind energy to the people in an affordable way. Jan De Nul is responsible for the offshore part of four projects, involving 773 kilometres of subsea export cables. These systems perform better for transporting electricity over long distances. Thanks to their high capacity, fewer cables with smaller diameters can be used. This means less material needed and a lower impact on the environment.

Jan De Nul, together with partners LS Cable & System and Denys, is responsible for four connections in this programme: BalWin4, LanWin1, LanWin5 and BalWin5. These projects start in the German North Sea and cross the Wadden Sea to connect to the mainland high-voltage grid. Together, these projects have a capacity of no less than 8 GW, enough to provide more than eight million German households with green electricity.

2GW Program in numbers

4

projects

we are executing

773

km

subsea cable route

1198

km

total cable route

3594

km

combined cable length

Did you know?

This is the first project for Fleming Jenkin, our XL cable-laying ship. Thanks to the three turntables with a capacity of 28,000 tonnes on board, the ship is perfectly equipped to transport the cable system and install it in one go.
We carry out these projects as partners. By searching for the most efficient solutions together, we reduce costs and minimise the impact on nature.

The project in detail

Innovation is one of the characteristics of these projects. We are using a hypermodern cable ship for the transport and installation of the undersea cables. Thanks to the large loading capacity and efficient engines that run on biofuels such as green methanol, we are reducing the number of transports and lowering our emissions. Another advantage is the smaller number of connections between the cable sections, which increases the quality of the electricity flow.

The cable system consists of two 525 kV HVDC cables, a metal return cable and a fibre-optic cable. We will bundle these together on board the Fleeming Jenkin before they are installed underwater.

LS Cable has developed HVDC cables that contain no less than 68% recycled copper, a first in this industry. For a length of 773 kilometres of undersea route and a total route length of 1198 kilometres, this has an enormous impact on reducing our emissions and the extraction of new materials.

The four cable routes run from the North Sea through the Wadden Sea, a sensitive environment. We are taking appropriate measures to bury the cables with minimal impact and are working closely with governments and stakeholders.

The first transport will take place in 2026. We will install the last cables of these projects in 2031. Because we are working together for such a long time, we are building a partnership with TenneT, LS Cable & System and Denys. This allows us to optimise planning and implementation and reduce costs. And we are making sustainable energy affordable and competitive.