Energinet.dk, Tennet Look for Subsea Cable Consultant in Germany

Danish transmission system operator Energinet.dk and its Dutch partner Tennet are looking for consultancy providers that will assist in obtaining the permits to install and operate the COBRAcable in Germany.

The consultant will help the project team in the dialogue with key German authorities and in preparing the applications to German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency BSH and Bergamt (mining supervisory authority in Germany), focusing on nature and environmental issues.

The transnational HVDC interconnector (COBRAcable) is planned to be laid between Southern Denmark and the Netherlands and will incorporate the laying of a 200 km long subsea cable within the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The cable route is adopted in the offshore net plan as a cable route for which permits are pending. The application procedure with BSH was opened in January 2011 and scoping terms were issued in May 2011. The project planning has resumed this autumn after a break of 1.5 years.

Geophysical and biological seabed surveys have been completed. However, supplementary surveys (outside the scope of this contract) can be undertaken during the 2014 season.

Energinet.dk and TenneT plan to develop the COBRA Cable in order to allow the integration of more renewable energy into the Dutch and Danish power systems and to increase security of supply.