VLCV BV Completes Borssele Cable Project

VLCV BV, a joint venture between VL Specials and C-Ventus Offshore Windfarm Services, has completed the installation of two ducts, including bellmouths, for the cable system of the Borssele offshore wind project in the Netherlands.

Arvid de Groot, Project Manager at VLCV BV said: “Today I can proudly announce that both ducts and Bellmouths have been successfully installed. Our teams have been working hard since October on the successful installation of both ducts. The successful completion of this EPC-project illustrates the capacities of VLCV BV on complex and challenging operations”.

The Borssele cable project consists of the design, manufacturing and installation of two Borssele Beta 220 kV 350 MW grid connections between the Borssele OWF offshore substation platform and the onshore substation at the town of Borssele.

The site is situated in its entirety in Dutch territory and Dutch territorial waters. The contract for the performance of the scope of Works has been awarded to the consortium TenneT TSO B.V and NKT Cables GmbH & Co. KG and VBMS B.V.

VLCV BV is contracted to install by Direct Drill technique two ducts including Bellmouth installation for TenneT and VBNK consortium.

Two Direct Drill’s and duct installations of approximately 450m long will be made from a barge positioned on the mudflat towards the exit pit in the Western Scheldt seabed at ~50m of depth. This technique,is a single-step drill technique, consists of an onshore prefabricated pipeline that is directly connected with a drill head and installs in one pass after which the drill head is disconnected.

VLCV BV has designed the drilling plan for this project considering the subsoil conditions, strength calculations and mud pressures which are implemented in the design. After drilling and installation of the duct, the drill head will be removed with a special disconnecting system.

A DP2 vessel with a Work Class ROV recovers the drill head and installs the two Bellmouths with the use of special drill tools operated from the drill barge. The Bellmouth will be temporary closed with a special plug to seal the pipe ready for the cable pull-in works that will take place at a later stage.