DEME to install inter-array cables, secondary steel on OranjeWind project in Netherlands

DEME has been awarded a contract to carry out the transport and installation of inter-array cables and secondary steel for the 800 MW OranjeWind offshore wind farm in the Netherlands.

Scheduled to start in the second half of 2026, DEME will deploy offshore and cable installation vessels, a hopper dredger and a fallpipe vessel, as well as additional supporting equipment.

The deal is worth between €150 million and €300 million, as per DEME’s definition of a substantial contract.

The company will transport and install a total of 114 kilometers of inter-array cables, which will connect all 53 foundations to the offshore substation in the Dutch North Sea. TKF will supply the cables for the project.

The scope includes all the engineering, preparation, and supporting activities, ensuring that DEME will deliver a complete solution to RWE and TotalEnergies, the developers of the OranjeWind offshore wind farm.

Pre-sweeping will be conducted at the wind farm site, situated 53 kilometers from the Dutch coast, before cable installation in areas with significant sand waves to ensure the cable is buried at the required target depth.

At the offshore substation and crossings of existing assets, the cables are planned to be stabilized with rock.

The secondary steel scope includes the transport and installation of boat landings, access platforms, and internal platforms at the monopile foundations.

“With our diverse offshore fleet and specialised equipment, we are well positioned to successfully deliver this project, while working closely with the RWE and TotalEnergies joint venture. Additionally, the project will benefit from DEME’s extensive experience in cable installation, particularly given the dynamic seabed environment at the wind farm location”, said Philip Scheers, General Manager Subsea Power Cables at DEME.

Located around 53 kilometers off the coast of IJmuiden, the OranjeWind offshore wind farm will feature 53 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines.

RWE secured the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) VII site, where the wind farm will be built, in the tender held in 2022, with TotalEnergies joining the project in July 2024.

Offshore construction at the site is scheduled to start in 2026, with full commissioning expected in early 2028.

When it comes to DEME, this is the fourth cable project the company has been awarded in recent months.

DEME won two contracts from Prysmian for the engineering and installation works for TenneT’s IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems in the Netherlands. In addition, a consortium consisting of DEME and Hellenic Cables was awarded a contract for the supply and installation of the high-voltage subsea cables for the Princess Elisabeth Island in the Belgian North Sea.