deugro Delivers 600 Tonnes of HVDC Cables for Germany’s SuedLink Elbe Crossing

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deugro has completed the transport of three cable baskets carrying more than 600 tonnes of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables from Sweden to Germany for TenneT Germany’s ElbX project, using a combination of heavy lift shipping, inland water transport and self propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) to overcome infrastructure restrictions.

The shipment, undertaken on behalf of cable manufacturer NKT, involved three cable baskets weighing up to 226 tonnes each. The cargo forms part of the Elbe River crossing for SuedLink, a major electricity transmission project designed to carry renewable power from northern Germany to industrial and population centres in the south.

The cables were manufactured at NKT’s facility in Karlskrona, Sweden, and wound into three baskets measuring approximately 8.52 metres long, 8.52 metres wide and 4.80 metres high.

Each basket contained a continuous cable section exceeding five kilometres in length.

Unlike conventional cable installations, where shorter sections can be joined during construction, the ElbX river crossing requires uninterrupted cable lengths. This meant the cargo had to remain intact throughout manufacturing, loading, marine transport and final delivery.

The dimensions and weight of the baskets also placed restrictions on lifting equipment, vessel selection and road transport.

To accommodate NKT’s continuous manufacturing process, deugro developed a marine logistics arrangement using a dedicated coaster vessel stationed at Karlskrona for approximately two and a half weeks.

The coaster served as floating storage while the cable baskets were completed and transferred from the factory using its gantry crane.

Once all three baskets were ready, they were transferred directly to a chartered heavy lift vessel equipped with two cranes, each rated at 150 tonnes.

The vessel subsequently sailed to Brunsbüttel, Germany, completing the voyage in approximately 24 hours.

The final delivery presented additional challenges because ground conditions, road infrastructure and load bearing restrictions limited conventional heavy haulage options.

Claudia Reinhold, Deputy Branch Manager at deugro Hamburg, said the company evaluated several routes before selecting a combination of waterborne transport and heavy haulage.

“The project required us to identify an alternative to a purely road-based transport concept, as ground conditions, infrastructure restrictions and the load-bearing capacity of certain road sections presented significant challenges,” Reinhold said.

The selected arrangement reduced the distance travelled by road and avoided sections where infrastructure limitations could have complicated delivery.

At Brunsbüttel, the cable baskets were transferred onto a pontoon and transported by tugboats to Peters Werft in Wewelsfleth, near the designated ElbX staging area.

The final marine operation required coordination around tidal windows, water levels, wind conditions and quay capacity.

Juliette Klein, Project Manager Renewable Energy at deugro, said these factors required detailed planning and flexibility during execution.

A floating sheerleg crane accompanied the pontoon to Peters Werft, where the cable baskets were lifted directly onto SPMTs for the final movement to the staging area.

Representatives from NKT, TenneT Germany, deugro and engineering specialist dteq monitored the operation.

ElbX forms part of SuedLink, a major HVDC transmission development intended to strengthen electricity connections between northern and southern Germany.

The river crossing is designed to carry electricity beneath the Elbe without intermediate cable joints, making the delivery of continuous cable sections essential to the installation programme.

Nils Sauerborn, Director Offshore Solutions at deugro, said growing European grid investment was increasing demand for logistics solutions involving multiple transport modes.

“The growing demand for grid infrastructure across Europe requires logistics partners that can look beyond conventional transport solutions and manage complex interfaces across multiple modes of transport,” Sauerborn said.

deugro is also involved in other sections of the SuedLink development.