Progress

The NorNed cable was installed in eight separate sections from the cable installation vessel Skagerrak. The first four sections of the cable were installed in 2006; the remaining sections were installed in 2007. The NorNed cable was completed in May 2008.

The longest electricity cable in the world is operational (06-05-2008)

This morning (Tuesday, the 6th of May) the longest high-voltage cable in the world was successfully put into operation: the NorNed cable between the Netherlands (Eemshaven) and Norway (Feda), with a length of 580 kilometres. The cable has a capacity of 700 megawatt and is intended for the transmission of electricity between both countries. This cable contributes in creating an European electricity market for 200 million consumers. Read full report

NorNed – NorNed auction expected to start Monday May 5 (28-04-2008)

Testing of the NorNed cable connection between Norway and the Netherlands made good progress. First NorNed auction is planned on Monday May 5 2008. Read full report

NorNed - positive test results so far (21-04-2008)

Testing of the NorNed cable connection between Norway and the Netherlands has endured for one and a half week.  The results so far are affirmative. Over the previous days power up to approx 620 MW has been transmitted in both directions between the Netherlands and Norway. The trials have included ramping of power, going from low to high power transmission and down again, change of direction and reliable transmission. Read full report

Start high-power tests NorNed cable (14-04-2008)

End of last week cable laying activities of the NorNed cable were completed and TenneT and Statnett started the transmission test program. The first low power tests show positive test results. Based on the good progress of the ongoing testing, it is planned to start high power testing on Tuesday April 15th. Read full report

Start low-power tests NorNed cable (10-04-2008)

Last night, the repair operation of the NorNed cable has been completed. The NorNed cable is now ready for testing. Low power tests will start today, 10th April 2008. Last few days the weather conditions were good enough to continue repair works and the project team was able to work 24 hours a day. The last joint was finished successfully last night. A high-voltage test on the cable is performed and the transmission tests have started. Read full report

Update repair NorNed cable (08-04-2008)

In the last few days Statnett and TenneT made good progress with the repair works of the NorNed cable between Norway and The Netherlands. Another off shore joint has been made under good weather conditions. The completion of the repair works in the coming days stays fully dependent on the weather situation, at this moment the forecast is good. Read full report

New date completion NorNed cable (28-03-2008)

Following updated planning the NorNed cable between Norway and the Netherlands may become available to the market in May. Start of low power testing is aimed for in April. The delay is caused by severe weather conditions in the North Sea over the last months. Read full report

Update repair NorNed cable (13-03-2008)

Over the last few weeks a significant part of the repair operation of the NorNed cable between Norway and The Netherlands has been completed. All preparations for the remaining repair works have been taken and the operation is ongoing. Still, the remaining part of the operation is dependent on stable weather conditions. Read full report.

Repair of the NorNed cable – update ( 1 February 2008)

The operation to repair the NorNed cable has been hindered by enduring poor weather conditions. The fault that occurred before Christmas is located approximately 270 km off shore the Netherlands. Start of low power testing is aimed for in March. The NorNed cable between Norway and the Netherlands may become available for trading of electricity in April, however progress is still dependant on weather conditions. TenneT and Statnett will publish an update as soon as more information is available.

New repair of the NorNed cable (4 January 2008)

The repair of the NorNed cable between Norway and the Netherlands has started. Following a transmission test on the 15th of December last, resulting whereof a second fault in the cable was detected, the exact location of this fault in the 580 kilometre long cable  has now been determined, meaning that repair activities have been started. Because the repair is dependant on weather conditions at sea, the start of low power testing is expected earliest beginning of February. With the remainder of transmission tests to be executed the NorNed cable could earliest become available for trading of electricity beginning of March. TenneT and Statnett will publish an update via their websites as soon as more information is available.

NorNed cable repair works (17 December 2007)

The repair of the NorNed cable between Norway and The Netherlands was completed Friday December 14th. Unfortunately, a second cable fault occurred during the successive testing the following Saturday. The fault was experienced after some hours of power flow. Read the full report here.

NorNed cable repair operation almost finished (12 December 2007)

The operation to repair the damaged part of the NorNed cable between the Netherlands and Norway is still ongoing. Weather depending the cable can be repaired end of this week; after which the testing of the NorNed link will continue. An accelerated test program, continued during the Christmas days aims to have the NorNed link operable in the last days of this year. Read the full report here.

NorNed – repair operation ongoing (3 December 2007)

The operation to repair the damaged part of the NorNed cable between Norway and The Netherlands is ongoing. A short section of the cable will be replaced due to a fault that occurred in an early testing phase. Challenging weather conditions has postponed the operation by two weeks. Read the full report here.

The European Investment Bank finances NorNed (27 November 2007)

The European Investment Bank, the EIB  – the financing institution of the EU – provides a funding of EUR 140 million for the NorNed cable. On 23 November 2007, Today Torsten Gersfelt, EIB Vice President, and Mel Kroon, CEO of TenneT signed a financing contract. Read the full report here.

Adapted planning NorNed (2 November 2007)

A malfunction of the NorNed cable occurred last week during the initial testing of the cable. The damaged section will be replaced and preparations for a repair operation have already been started. This repair operation is weather dependent and takes at least four weeks. Read the full report here.

Longer test period required due to malfunction of the NorNed-cable (27 Oktober 2007)

All cable laying activities at the NorNed cable project between Norway and the Netherlands are completed. A technical malfunction was experienced as transmission testing of the cable started earlier this week. Read the full report here.

NorNed electricity trading expected second half of November 2007 (4 Oktober 2007)

Trading of electricity over the NorNed interconnector between Norway and the Netherlands is now planned to start in the second half of November 2007. This is later than previously estimated but still ahead of the start originally scheduled for January 1st 2008. Read the full report here.

Final section of NorNed cable installed (3 Oktober 2007)

All sections of the NorNed cable have now been installed, and only three joints remain before the cable connection can be fully tested and completed. The final 153 kilometres of cable were laid in severe weather conditions off the coast of Denmark last week. Read the full report here.

Electricity Trading on the NorNed Interconnector (21 August 2007)

The trading of electricity over the NorNed interconnector between Norway and the Netherlands is planned to start at the end of October 2007, two months ahead of the original schedule. The originally intended market coupling between the power exchanges Nord Pool Spot and APX cannot be implemented immediately because both Gate Closure Times for the day ahead markets cannot be harmonized in before end of October. Read the full report here.

Final pull-in operation for NorNed cable completed (30 juli 2007)

The NorNed cable, the world’s longest submarine power cable which is being installed between Norway and the Netherlands, is approaching completion. On Thursday, 26 July, the last of two conductors was successfully pulled on shore in Norway. The cable was pulled through a so-called ‘microtunnel’ and will now be connected to the new converter station at Feda. Read the full report here.

NorNed cable close to completion (6 July 2007)

The installation of the NorNed cable, the cross border cable which will interconnect the Dutch and Norwegian high voltage power grids, is close to completion. Last June, the sixth of eight constituting sections was installed. All parts of the project are now close to completion. Read the full report here.

Third transformer arrives in Eemshaven (18 June 2007)

On Monday, 18 June, Eemshaven welcomed the arrival of a rather special transport. The third of four transformers (coming in at 250 tonnes each) was shipped from Norrkoping (Sweden) to Eemshaven. Read the full report here.

Fifth section of NorNed cable now installed (13 May 2007)

Over the weekend of 12 and 13 May, the fifth section of the NorNed cable was installed on the seabed, a task which took eight days to complete. Under the circumstances, eight days was quite speedy, considering that the cable installation vessel Skagerrak had some fierce wind and a heaving sea to deal with. Skagerrak is now on her way to Karlskrona (Sweden) in order to load the next part of the cable. The installation of the NorNed cable is scheduled for completion on 31 October 2007.

Heavy transport arrives at Eemshaven (24 January 2007)

On Wednesday, 24 January, the first of four very heavy transformers to be installed in Eemshaven arrived at the substation. Read the full report here.