Elia, the Belgian electricity transmission system operator, has invited tenders for unexploded explosive ordnance (UXO) survey, identification and removal on the cable route of the modular offshore grid (MOG) project in the Belgium sector of the North Sea.
The modular offshore grid includes an offshore platform to provide connections to the new wind farms. This will be located approximately 40 km from the coast of Zeebrugge. Three 220kV submarine cables will link the platform with the Stevin substation in Zeebrugge, so that the produced wind energy can be injected in the Belgian onshore grid.
The project works consist of the identification and removal within the area of the Offshore Switch Yard (OSY), the 50-meters corridor of one 220kV AC submarine power cable leading from OSY Platform to the first wind farm’s platform, and two 220kV AC cables going from the OSY platform to the onshore connection point, located on the beach in Zeebrugge.
The modular offshore grid is scheduled to be taken into use in the third quarter of 2019. Elia already performed seabed survey campaigns to investigate soil conditions along the cable route and at the platform location.
The contract is scheduled to start in April 2018 and should be executed by September 30 same year.
The deadline for the submission of tenders is July 17, 2017.