TenneT and its Danish counterpart Energinet.dk will install a fibre-optic data link alongside the COBRAcable interconnector itself, in order to exchange the necessary information about the interconnection.
In future, the fibre-optic link can also be used to connect offshore wind farms to the telecommunications network as the data cable’s remaining capacity will be made available to the market.
The primary purpose of the data cable is to facilitate communications between the two converter stations in the Netherlands and Denmark. It can also be used for a number of technical purposes, such as possible failure location and possible vessel identification in case of damage to the cable, as well as for registering the temperature of the COBRAcable.
TenneT and Energinet.dk will start constructing the so-called COBRAcable towards the end of this year. The COBRAcable is a new 325km long subsea DC connection that will create a direct link between the Dutch and Danish power grids in 2019.
The COBRAcable will have a capacity of 700MW and will run from Eemshaven in the Netherlands, via the German sector of the North Sea to Endrup in Denmark.
The interconnector will make Dutch capacity structurally available to the Danish electricity grid, and vice versa. It will also be designed in such a way as to enable the connection of an offshore wind farm at a later stage.
Preparations for the construction of the converter station at Eemshaven have already started. Work on the construction of the cable will start mid 2017. The COBRAcable is scheduled to be taken into operation in 2019.