Securing the SwePol Link
NKT cable systems enable high-voltage power transmission between Sweden and Poland and pave the way for new investments in power generation.
- References
- Securing the SwePol Link
Key Facts
Scope
- 450 kV mass impregnated (MI) HVDC cable system, including, 239 km of submarine cable and 15 km of underground cable. Two 20 kV XLPE MCR cables for the return current.
- Project management.
- Design and engineering of HVDC cable system.
- Manufacturing of cable and accessories.
- Onshore installation including civil works.
- Offshore installation in sensitive shore environment.
- Horizontal directional drilling (HDD).
The project
The aim of the SwePol Link between Sweden and Poland is to strengthen power transmission and power exchange in Europe as well as to enable a continuous development of green and efficient solutions.
The creation of the HVDC (high-voltage direct current) power transmission link, connecting the Stärnö converter station in Karlshamn, Sweden, with the Slupsk converter station in Poland, included tough challenges. It did not only require a 250 km long cable system to lay across and bury in the Baltic Sea, but also a reliable way of eliminating any risk of corrosion or chlorite generation affecting the important link. The project included the demand for a smart selection of an environmentally friendly cable route minimizing the impact on fishing areas and very careful works taking sensitive sand dunes at shore in Poland into consideration.
SwePol Link decided to appoint us as turnkey provider for the demanding project, meaning that we were to be responsible for project management, cable system design and engineering, cable system manufacturing and cable installation, both on land and at sea.
Our impressive know-how in cable engineering and in our installation department together with our experience from the field should prove to be vital for the rapid and successful development and completion of the turnkey HVDC power cable transmission link.
The solution
We designed, manufactured, laid, protected the cable at sea and provided all installation for land.
The cable system consists of a mechanically strong and hermetically sealed mass-impregnated, non-draining paper-insulated HVDC cable with a 2100 mm² copper conductor. It also includes two MCR (metallic current return) cables giving a sufficient conductor area for the return current.
The cable system was completed in less than 15 months at our state-of-the-art factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, which is specially designed for production of long submarine cables. The cable system was then loaded directly onboard the laying ship at the factory’s deep-sea port.
For the landing of the cable in Poland, we passed the very sensitive shore environment consisting of high sand dunes by means of 500 meters horizontal directional drilling (HDD) under the dunes and out in the sea in order not to disturb the natural sand dunes.
At NKT, we are proud of contributing to the efficient power exchange system in Europe. It is also great that our cable system in the SwePol Link can be effectively used for the green and clean electricity that is expected from several upcoming Polish offshore wind farm projects.
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