29 January 2024

Meshed high-voltage grid in Belgian North Sea prevents Rentel wind farm outage after cable incident

During periods of very high winds, the transmission capacity of four Belgian offshore wind farms will be temporarily limited due to the fact that the cable from the Rentel platform to the mainland was damaged after an incident. 

Despite the damage, the wind farm is able to continue to generate power, since Rentel – unlike Belgium's first wind farms – is integrated into a meshed high-voltage grid. Rentel has two export cables: one running to the coast (which is currently interrupted) and one running to Elia's offshore power hub (the MOG). Since three other wind farms are connected to the MOG, their electricity output is restricted slightly during periods of very highs wind to prevent the export cables from being overloaded.  

  • An alternative transmission route via Elia's MOG (offshore power hub) is now being used to its maximum potential
  • To avoid overloading the MOG’s cables, offshore generation capacity is temporarily limited during periods when there are high winds
  • The cause of the cable incident is still being investigated; Belgium’s security of electricity supply is not in jeopardy

Marleen Vanhecke
Head of Communication & Reputation Elia Group
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