Underground HV connection between Boxtel and Oirschot
Demand for electricity in and around the town of Boxtel is increasing due to the escalating power consumption of households and the business community. To meet this demand in energy consumption, work on an underground high voltage connection between Oirschot and Boxtel is well underway. SPIE is building a new 150 kV electricity mast in Oirschot and Visser & Smit Hanab has taken on the drilling and cabling work.
Almost the entire route between Oirschot and Boxtel is now visible in the landscape. The top soil has been excavated up to the 'Brede Heide' in Boxtel. Initial cable pulling commenced on 5 September, where the trench has been refilled with soil, sown and fertilised. Further down the line dry excavation is being carried out. which means that no drainage and pumps are required in the trench. The cables are laid and the trench is subsequently covered with sand, cover plates and soil. This is how the cables will be laid along the entire route. There are seven cable pulls in total. Each cable pull takes two weeks.
Obstacles, such as roads, make it impossible to bury the cables or cause inconvenience. To keep this inconvenience to a minimum, horizontal drilling is undertaken at certain locations to connect the cables. These drilling operations enable cable pipes to be installed through which the cables can be pulled.
Over the next few weeks preparations will be made for the last cables to be pulled. Work on the termination point is expected to be completed at the end of 2014 and the cable route will be ready in early 2015. The Boxtel high voltage station will be up and running in January 2015.