Jan De Nul supply and install a new Pentland Firth interconnector

June 2, 2023

In November 2022, Jan De Nul Group signed a contract with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution to supply and install in summer 2023 a 33kV interconnecting cable between mainland Scotland and the Orkney island of Hoy, strengthening the local distribution grid.

Jan De Nul is responsible for the EPCI contract that includes the supply and installation of approximately 36 km of 33kV subsea cable and associated installation accessories and protection measures. Additionally, a further 7 km of spare cable will be supplied to SSEN Distribution’s facilities in Nigg, Scotland.

Bart Moens, Senior Commercial Manager at Jan De Nul Group: “We are very pleased with this award from SSEN Distribution, marking the first collaboration between our companies. After the award of the Greenlink project, we are supplying and installing yet another critical interconnector for the UK distribution grid.”

A fast track schedule

The project runs on a fast track schedule with installation works foreseen in summer 2023. Jan De Nul’s Cable-Laying Vessel Connector will install the subsea cable, supported by Jan De Nul’s in-house trenching expertise and tools to perform the cable protection scope.

The cable supply contract was placed with Ningbo Orient Wires and Cables (NBO) in China. NBO has completed manufacturing on schedule. The submarine cable is currently in transit to Europe, where Jan De Nul is finalizing the preparations for the installation works.