The windswept North Sea is powering a new renewable energy economy in Europe. The European Commission and several North Sea countries have pledged to install 300 GW of offshore wind power there by 2050. This is comparable to the amount of energy required to supply electricity to nearly 200 million European households.
One of the pioneering projects that will help reach this ambitious target is the DolWin6. This 320 kV DC link connects an offshore platform that collects power from several offshore wind farms to the mainland. Two parallel cables, each 90 km long (with 45 km of submarine and 45 km of land cables), stretch from the DolWin Kappa offshore converter station to an onshore HVDC converter and transformer station in Emden, Germany. Grid operator TenneT, general contractor of the project, sought an advanced HVDC solution that would enable the transmission of up to 900 MW of wind power from offshore to land in a reliable and efficient way, and with only minimal losses.
© Nexans
© Nexans
© Borealis
© Nexans
© Nexans
© Borealis
In July 2017, TenneT awarded the project to leading cable manufacturer and long-standing Borealis partner, Nexans, which subsequently selected Borealis Borlink™ LS4258DC (as XLPE insulation) and LE0550DC (as inner and outer semicon) for the manufacture of the DC transmission cables.
As the newest grade of the step-changing Borlink™ extruded HVDC technology launched in 2014, Borlink™ LS4258DC was developed to enable even higher power transfer capacity. Its superior performance characteristics include:
In addition to these outstanding performance parameters, Nexans selected Borealis on the basis of our excellent track record in technical service and customer support for major energy and infrastructure projects.
While predecessor Borlink™ grades have been employed in many large-scale infrastructure projects in recent years, DolWin6 was the first commercial application of Borlink™ LS4258DC in Europe. With the successful commissioning of the project in September 2023, Borlink™ LS4258DC has proven itself as a grade suitable for the largest-scale industrial projects in green energy. Cable manufacturers and project operators can count on Borealis to supply ample volumes of high-quality and innovative HVDC compounds, accompanied by expert technical support.
Borealis solutions bring energy all around
For over six decades, Borealis has been a leading provider of value-creating polyolefin compounds for the energy industry and a partner of choice for wire and cable customers. Our global presence is assured thanks to our own operations outside Europe such as Rockport (US), and DYM Solution Co., Ltd. (KOR), as well as through our joint ventures Borouge (UAE) and Baystar™ (US).
The proprietary technologies and advanced material solutions accelerating electrification and the green energy transition include our industry-wide platform Borlink™; the sustainable engineering polymer class Stelora™; the solar brand Quentys™; and our Borclean™ capacitor film resins.
As a reliable partner, Borealis provides high-performance compounds for insulation and protection of land and submarine applications; power transmission and distribution; network and communication cables; energy storage and capacitors. Our Borcycle™ M, Borcycle™ C and Bornewables™ portfolios of ISCC Plus certified circular solutions help meet growing industry demand for high quality and more sustainable cable and capacitor polymers. These sustainable solutions embody the aims of our EverMinds™ platform dedicated to promoting and advancing circularity in the energy industry to ensure the continued success of our customers and partners.
Borclean™, Borcycle™, Borlink™, Bornewables™, EverMinds™, Quentys™ and Stelora™ are trademarks of Borealis AG.
