Abu Dhabi OPT Limited LLC - Project Lightning: Sub-Sea Power Transmission Network

General Information
Owner Abu Dhabi Offshore Power Transmission
Masterplan Project (Parent Profile) Abu Dhabi OPT – Project Lightning – Abu Dhabi
Location Abu Dhabi, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE
Status --
Sector Power, Transmission, Cable, Overhead Line
Contract Type Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT)
Onshore/Offshore Onshore
Greenfield/Brownfield Greenfield
Progress 62
Estimated Budget Value ---
Contract Value 3000
Net Value $3000m
Award Date December 2021
Completion Date July 2025
Last Updated On January 2024
ProjectId (Old, New) 322879, 322879


Abu Dhabi Offshore Power Transmission Limited LLC (Shareholders including Kyuden Group, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Électricité de France, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA)) are undertaking the construction of a subsea transmission system connecting offshore oil facilities of ADNOC to the onshore electricity grid in the UAE.

The planned project is the first subsea power transmission network in the Middle East and could reduce Adnoc’s offshore facilities carbon footprint by up to 30 percent through Taqa’s onshore power production.

The transmission system will connect to EWEC’s onshore electricity grid, operated by its subsidiary, Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company (TRANSCO), and provide a total installed capacity of 3,200 megawatts.

The first cable cluster, connecting Das Island to shore, comprises three 400-kilovolt (kV) subsea cables of 135 kilometers (km) each. The second cluster, connecting Al Ghallan island to shore, concerns four 320 kV submarine cables of 125 km each.

The project is known as "Project Lightning” and is aimed at using excess electricity capacity from the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to power ADNOC’s offshore assets.

The US$3,500 million project includes the following:

1. Laying of a 900km 320/400kV XLPE HVDC Submarine cable-based subsea transmission line with a maximum of 600MW power capacity

2. Laying of a 900km 320/400kV XLPE HVDC Submarine cable-based subsea transmission line with a maximum of 1000MW power capacity

3. Construction of 4 VSC converter stations (320/400kV)

4. Laying of the first cable cluster connecting Das Island to shore, comprises three 400-kilovolt (kV) subsea cables of 135 kilometers (km) each

5. Laying of the second cable cluster connecting Al Ghallan island to shore, concerns four 320 kV submarine cables of 125 km each.

6. Electro-mechanical works

7. Civil works

8. Construction of associated facilities

Second Section

31 January 2024

The cable-laying ship Leonardo da Vinci has arrived in Abu Dhabi, where it will commence the work of laying cables over 134 kilometres from Mirfa to the offshore Zakum cluster. (Source: MEED)

04 January 2024

Construction works are ongoing as per the schedule.

05 September 2023

Construction works are progressing on the project and are expected to be completed by 2025.

05 May 2023

Construction works have commenced.

25 January 2023

Airolink has been appointed as the sub-contractor for the project.

19 December 2022

Prysmian Group has been awarded US$ 61.6 million contract for laying submarine cables for the already secured Project Lighting HVDC 320 kV interconnection project.

25 September 2022

The project has reached the financial close of US$3.8bn for the first high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) sub-sea transmission system project. The following six lenders have provided the debt: Japan Bank for International Cooperation (Japan), Export-Import Bank of Korea (Kexim, South Korea), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (Japan), Standard Chartered Bank (UK), BNP Paribas (France), Mizuho Bank (Japan).

20 September 2022

The US$3.6 billion high-voltage, direct current (HVDC-VSC) subsea transmission system project is nearing financial close and the construction works is expected to commence before the end of the year. (Source: MEED)

16 June 2022

The project is expected to reach financial closure by Q3 2022. (Source: MEED)

18 April 2022

SNC Lavalin has been appointed as the advisory and engineering services consultant.

10 February 2022

Sumitomo Electric Industries has received a limited notice to proceed from Samsung C&T Corporation to deliver a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable for the project. Construction works are expected to commence in 2022 and commercial operation is expected in 2025. (Source: MEED)

25 January 2022

The project is expected to reach financial close by the third quarter of 2022. (Source: MEED)

03 January 2022

A consortium of Jan De Nul Group and Samsung C&T has been awarded the contract for a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable installation and convertors package with a contract value of US$3 billion. The scope of Jan De Nul includes the design, installation, burial, and protection of two cable clusters of almost 1,000km in total, connecting the islands Al Ghallan and Das in the Arabian Gulf to the onshore converter stations at Al Mirfa and Shuweihat in Abu Dhabi.

23 December 2021

Hitachi was appointed by Samsung C&T to install a high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission system. The scope of work includes the supply of four converter stations, which convert AC power to DC for transmission in the subsea cables, then reconvert it to AC from DC for use in the offshore power systems.

22 December 2021

A consortium of Kepco, Kyuden, and EDF has been awarded the contract to develop the project.

19 December 2021

The client is expected to formally award the contract to a consortium of Kepco, Kyuden, and EDF to develop the project. (Source: MEED)

30 November 2021

The main contract is expected to be awarded by the end of 2021.

11 November 2021

The main contract tender are expected to be awarded by end of November 2021.

30 September 2021

The preferred consortium of Kepco, Kyuden and EDF is preparing the final contract and is expected to be signed by end of October 2021. (Source: MEED)

05 September 2021

The main contract is expected to be awarded by the end of September 2021 but can be delayed further. (Source: MEED)

15 August 2021

The main contract is expected to be awarded by the end of August 2021.

25 July 2021

Market sources indicate that, a team comprising South Korea's Kepco, Japan's Kyuden International and France's EDF has been selected to implement the project and the contract will be awarded in August 2021. (Source: MEED)

19 July 2021

The main contract bids are still under evaluation

08 June 2021

The main contract bids are still under evaluation. However, the client is expected to reach commercial operation by 2025. (Source: MEED)

09 March 2021

Following EPC contractors have submitted bids with each developer group: Kepco/Samsung C&T, Kansai/Larsen&Toubro, Vision Invest/Elia/Petrofac, China Grid/CNOOC.

17 February 2021

The client is likely to shortlist the bidders before proceeding to the commercial bid evaluation stage. (Source: MEED)

22 January 2021

Bid clarifications are under way for the contract to develop the planned Sub-Sea Power Transmission Network project as the bidders presented to the clients in the third week of December. (Source: MEED)

06 January 2021

The bids are under evaluation and the contract is expected to be awarded by Q1 2021.

30 November 2020

The client received bids on November 28, 2020 for the contract to develop the planned high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission system. The firms that submitted bids for the contract include * Kansai Power (Japan) * Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia) / Elia (Belgium) * Kepco (South Korea) / EDF (France) / Kyuden International (KIC) (Japan) and the main contract is scheduled to be awarded by the first quarter of 2021. (Source: MEED)

27 October 2020

The bid submission deadline to develop the planned high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission system has been extended to November 28, 2020. Mott MacDonald Group Ltd is working as the technical consultant for the project. (Source: MEED)

22 September 2020

The bid submission deadline to develop the planned high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea transmission system has been extended to October 30, 2020. (Source: MEED)

08 July 2020

The following companies have submitted non-binding offers (NBOs) for the contract to develop and maintain HDVC system * Kansai Power (Japan) * State Grid Corporation of China (China) * Vision Invest / Elia (Belgium) * China Southern Power Grid (China) * Kepco (South Korea) / EDF (France) / Kyuden International (KIC) (Japan) * Terna Plus (Italy). (Source: MEED)

27 April 2020

Requests for proposal (RFP) have been sent to international companies with the due date September 30, 2020, that have the requisite experience to partner with ADNOC and EWEC on the project. The project is to be executed on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis. Alderbrook Finance is the financial adviser.