TenneT has started modifying the underground waterway pass below the Caland and Nieuwe Waterweg canals. This 2-km long underpass will be converted into a 380-kV connection over the coming months. Work is expected to be completed by early 2010.


In 2004 drillings were carried out underneath the two canals, whereupon a 150-kV cable was placed in operation. This cable will be converted into a 380-kV connection in the next few months. The cables running below the two waterways have a total length of more than 2 km. The cables below the Caland canal are 850 m long, while the connection below the Nieuwe Waterweg canal is 1350 m in length.



Randstad 380 kV

The work currently being carried out is part of the construction of an entirely new 380-kV high-voltage connection across the Randstad conurbation, the highly urbanised western part of the Netherlands. In the next few years, a new electricity connection will be constructed between Wateringen and Beverwijk for this project, which is known as ‘Randstad 380 kV’. In addition, several existing high-voltage lines, such as the one between Hook of Holland and Wateringen, will be modified to allow for transmission of electricity at a voltage level of 380 kV.



The new connection is needed because the demand for electricity transmission in the Randstad conurbation is expected to rise considerably in the next few years. The construction of new homes and businesses, developments in the ICT sector, modern production methods in the greenhouse horticulture industry and the growing use of household appliances all contribute to an increase in electricity consumption. Furthermore, several power stations are under development at the Maasvlakte site, and a new subsea cable to the UK (known as BritNed) is being constructed.