High-voltage cables are becoming the backbone of modern energy infrastructure, and their transport is one of the most complex challenges in today’s project logistics. As renewable energy projects expand worldwide, ensuring the safe and timely movement of these cables is critical. In a recent interview, Nils Sauerborn, Director of Offshore Solutions at deugro, outlined how the company’s Global Wind Renewable Energy (GWRE) division is tackling these demands.
High-Voltage Cables: A Specialist Cargo
Sauerborn explained that GWRE manages end-to-end cable transports for both onshore and offshore projects. This includes securing specialized vessels, designing and installing spooling equipment, and coordinating port and inland operations. Unlike traditional project cargo such as turbines or heavy-lift modules, cables require constant precision. A delay in delivery can prevent an entire wind farm or interconnector project from being energized.
“The cables themselves have become bigger, heavier, and longer,” Sauerborn noted. “Industry demand is rising, and we often move lengths approaching 100 kilometers in a single piece, with weights averaging 100 kilograms per meter.”
Adapting to Industry Shifts
With more offshore connections and large-scale renewable projects, the logistical pressure has increased significantly. deugro, active in cable transport for over a century, now faces challenges such as limited vessel availability, tight weather windows offshore, and permit restrictions onshore. GWRE’s strength lies in its ability to adapt—securing vessel solutions in competitive markets and finding equipment options that keep projects moving.
Recent Projects Highlight Complexity
Several recent deliveries showcase the scale and diversity of GWRE’s operations:
- For the Turkish Crossing Project, deugro Italy, in cooperation with deugro Chartering, delivered 54 kilometers of HVAC cables to a cable-laying vessel in Turkey.
- In Germany, the company transported over 800 cable drums from storage yards in Kelheim and Regensburg to 120 different job sites for the SuedOstLink project, one of the country’s central energy transition initiatives.
- For the Cyclades IV Interconnector Project, deugro moved 58 kilometers and 3,550 metric tons of subsea cable from Finland to Crete, ensuring timely unspooling operations at Heraklion Port.
- In Abu Dhabi, 700 kilometers of MRC, DC400kV, and FO cables—totaling 15,500 metric tons—were shipped from Japan and Norway to support an HVDC submarine cable electrification project.
Each of these projects required careful coordination across multiple regions, equipment providers, and weather-dependent timelines.
One-Stop Solutions for Cable Clients
Sauerborn emphasized that deugro provides full-service solutions: engineering, spooling, installation support, vessel chartering, and transport management. This approach removes the need for clients to coordinate multiple contractors, ensuring consistency across the entire chain. “Experience and preparation are key,” he said. “You need to understand both the cargo and the client’s processes inside out.”
As energy transition projects accelerate, the demand for efficient cable logistics will only grow. GWRE’s focus on precision, safety, and adaptability positions deugro as a key player in delivering the essential infrastructure needed to connect renewable energy to global power grids.
