The Netherlands, Rotterdam: The North Sea Boulevard and Maasvlakte Boulevard have reopened to traffic following the installation of TenneT’s high-voltage cables beneath the seabed. The cables will connect the future IJmuiden Ver Beta and IJmuiden Ver Gamma offshore wind farms. The work was carried out by contractor consortium NRG.
In the coming years, renewable electricity from these offshore wind farms will reach land through cables buried near Maasvlakte. From there, the power will be distributed to industry via new converter stations and the Amaliahaven transformer station. This electricity will support electrification and the production of green hydrogen, helping to cut CO₂ emissions in the Port of Rotterdam area, which accounts for around 16 % of total emissions in the Netherlands.
To allow the cables to come ashore, NRG drilled nine times beneath the dunes during the year, installing empty plastic ducts. These will be used in 2026, when cable manufacturer NKT installs the cables linking the offshore wind farms.
Cable installation along the Maasvlakte Boulevard and North Sea Boulevard was completed last year and took around nine months. In recent weeks, both roads were repaired and inspected to ensure they could safely reopen. Only minor finishing works are planned for 2026, after which the project will be fully completed and handed over.
The connections being built on Maasvlakte form part of TenneT’s 2 GW programme. This approach allows large volumes of offshore wind energy to be brought ashore more efficiently, using fewer cables and platforms, while reducing environmental impact and supporting a clean, reliable energy supply for the future.
Source: TenneT
