UK-headquartered Intertek has been re-appointed by the Dutch-German transmission system operator (TSO), TenneT, to provide long-term client representation services in support of North Sea offshore wind grid connections.
Intertek Metoc has been selected for the full framework contract scope that includes specialist client representation for maritime surveys, transport and installation (T&I) and technical inspection, repair and maintenance (R&M) work on offshore platform structures, subsea cable installation, and repair activities.
The surveys include geophysical and geotechnical cable route surveys, UXO surveys and identification and clearance operations, subsea cable depth measurements, erosion studies, and geotechnical exploration drilling.
The TSO is connecting offshore wind farms in the Dutch and German North Sea to the onshore electricity grids of these countries.
TenneT expects to have realized 17 offshore grid connections with an installed capacity of more than 21 GW of offshore wind in the Dutch North Sea by 2031, all of which will require regular maintenance.
According to TenneT, offshore wind farms in the German and Dutch North Sea generated over 30 TWh of renewable power in 2023.
The TSO transmitted around 19.24 TWh of wind energy from the German North Sea to land last year, and another 11.54 TWh entered the Netherlands, which is an increase compared to 2022’s 7.91 TWh.
As of 31 December 2023, the total installed offshore wind capacity in the German North Sea reached 7,106 MW (previous year: 7,036 MW), while in the Dutch North Sea, it was 5,622 MW (previous year: 3,220 MW), said TenneT at the beginning of 2024.
Recently, TenneT announced it is developing a concept for an offshore subsea transformer that, according to the TSO, could accelerate the expansion of the offshore grid. At the end of June, TenneT launched a tender in Germany for feasibility studies on this concept.