Nexans has won a contract worth approximately 56 million Euros to supply the subsea power export cables for phase I of the Belgian Belwind Offshore Windfarm project, located on the Bligh Bank, approximately off the coast of Zeebrugge. On project completion, Nexans’ cable technology will transmit power to some 165,000 households in Belgium. Belwind NV is owned by Colruyt, Rabobank Project Equity, SHV, Meewind, and Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen.
Nexans will supply and install approximately 32 miles of 170kV high-voltage power export cable with an optical fiber insert to the Dutch EPC contractor, Van Oord Dredging & Marine Contractors b.v. The optical fiber elements will be manufactured in Nexans’ factory at Rognan, Norway, while the export cable will be made at the company’s factory in Halden, Norway. The cable will connect the wind farm of 55 wind turbines generating a total of 165 MW for the Belgian power network. Delivery is scheduled for the summer of 2010, with the windfarm coming on stream in 2011.