Maintenance experts will be used for the construction of the submarine Harmony Link electricity interconnection between Lithuania and Poland. The Polish electricity transmission system operator PSE, which implements the project together with the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator Litgrid, has announced the procurement of the services of the customer representative. The suppliers will perform maintenance of the necessary work, will help coordinate the work performed by converters and cable contractors, and will contribute to the smooth implementation of this technically complex project.
‘In a few years, a new commercial submarine electricity connection Harmony Link will connect the Lithuanian and Polish electrical systems. This is one of the most important energy infrastructure projects in our region, which ensures electricity trade between Lithuania and Poland after the synchronisation of the Baltic States with the continental European grid. A large part of the work of the project will take place offshore. Therefore, we, together with the partners PSE, have to ensure assistance with specific competencies. We plan that the successful tenderers in the procurement will be responsible for the technical review of the work performed during the project, coordination of the contractors’ work. So, they will make a crucial contribution to the successful construction of the new connection’, – says Rokas Masiulis, CEO of Litgrid.
The tasks intended for the successful tenderer in the procurement include examination of the project documentation, carrying out technical and administrative activities related to the work contracts, supervision of the workflow, preparation of reports, preparation and control of a risk register, maintenance and participation at the start of operation and commissioning, verification of final documents at the end of the project, etc.
PSE has announced the procurement for the services of the customer representative on Monday, May 2. In the implementation of this project, partners with technical expertise in high voltage, submarine cable and converter projects will be searched. Among other requirements, the suppliers participating in the procurement must have experience in providing services of the customer representative, when the value of the work is not less than 100 million euros, in supervising the design (in construction and electricity sectors), construction and commissioning work related to the construction of high voltage direct current (DC) converters (using VSC technology), etc. The successful tenderers in the procurement will have to offer a team of highly qualified professionals with relevant experience, who have experience of work in such projects.
The supplier tenders are expected by June 27, and the contract is planned to be signed during the fourth quarter of 2022.
Procurements of HVDC subsea cable system and converters are currently carried out in the Harmony Link project. The connection is scheduled for commissioning after the completion of the work of cable installation and construction of converter stations, and after the performance of a testing program.
Harmony Link will be the second the 700 MW HVDC subsea connection cable, which will be approximately 330 km long and will connect Zarnoviec substation in the Pomeranian region of Poland with Darbenai switchyard in Kretinga district of Lithuania will be the most important component of the connection. An underground cable will be laid from Darbenai to the Baltic coast. The onshore connection LitPol Link, that was installed in 2016 and expanded in 2021, will allow synchronisation of the electricity systems of the Baltic States and the Continental Europe. Harmony Link will ensure trade between the Lithuanian and Polish electricity markets. The total investment planned for the Harmony Link project is about 680 million euros, of which 493 million euros will be the maximum possible support from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).