NKT Completes BorWin5 HVDC Cable Installation

NKT has completed the installation of the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system for TenneT’s BorWin5 offshore grid connection in the German North Sea. The project involved the manufacturing and offshore installation of approximately 230 kilometers of 320 kV DC XLPE cables, finalized with the successful pull-in works to the BorWin epsilon platform using the advanced NKT Victoria cable laying vessel. This turnkey contract was awarded to NKT by TenneT in 2020.

BorWin5 is now positioned to transmit green electricity from EnBW’s 960 MW He Dreiht wind farm, located offshore in the German North Sea, to the mainland grid connection point at Garrel/Ost, near Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony. Sources report that integration with the He Dreiht wind farm, operated by EnBW, is expected to set new standards for operational efficiency and environmental performance, further driving down the cost and carbon footprint of offshore transmission.

The culmination of cable installation works signals the approach of commissioning, following necessary final testing and system integration with TenneT’s German offshore grid assets. NKT’s accomplishment reflects ongoing advances in HVDC manufacturing, installation practices, and operational standards, supporting a maturing supply chain capable of meeting ever-more complex requirements from transmission system operators and developers.