Statnett plans new cables in the Oslofjord
(12/18/2009)
Statnett has submitted an application to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) for permission to build and operate a new 420 kV subsea cable from the new muffler station at Teigen in Vestfold to the new muffler station at Evje in Østfold.
The objective is to safeguard the transmission capacity across the Oslofjord. This is important for supply security in the Eastern Norway region and for removing bottlenecks in the electricity grid. The new cable route in the Oslofjord is 13 km long, consists of nine cables.
In planning the subsea cable route, Statnett has sought to take account of the feedback received during meetings with stakeholders and authorities. The licence application for the facility will include up to three sets of 420 kV subsea cables (nine cables). This provides flexibility for future transmission requirements and the need for back-up solutions.
The new cable route between Teigen and Evje will be located south of the existing route – and will not go via land on Bastøy in the Oslofjord as is the case today.
The application also includes operating and maintaining the existing cable facility for five more years from the date of commissioning of the new facility. Statnett’s reasoning for this is that the existing facility is to be used as a back-up during the running-in phase for the new cable facility. When sufficient experience has been gained with the new facility, Statnett intends to shut down the current cable facility (Teigen – Bastøya – Evje).
The current cable facility was commissioned in 1981 and has a total of six oil/paper insulated cables. The route consists of two parts with a connection on Bastøya. The Oslofjord cables have been operated practically without faults for 27 years, until faults occurred in four of the cables in the spring of 2008. Since then, extensive repairs and mapping have been carried out. The entire cable facility was re-commissioned on 16 October 2009 following extensive repairs. Continued operation of the existing cable facility, however, entails drawbacks that indicate a need to replace the facility with a new one.
Start-up of work on the new 420 kV subsea cable is scheduled for the last six months of 2010, with a possible completion during 2012. The project has a preliminary cost framework of NOK 900-950 million.
Contacts in Statnett SF:
Project Manager Ole Johan Hjemås. Tel. +47 22 52 71 36
Vice President Corporate Communications Rune Gutteberg Hansen.
Tel. +47 22 52 72 48
