France – Repair and maintenance services – Curative maintenance of submarine HV cable links (Marine Operations)

RTE, the French electricity transmission system operator (TSO), is responsible for developing, building and operating high-voltage (HV) submarine cable links for interconnecting with neighboring countries, and for connecting offshore wind farms to its onshore transmission grid. RTE currently operates a wide range of submarine cable links on the Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. In the future, the number of submarine cable links shall further increase with the development of HVDC long distance submarine cable links to offshore wind farms. These submarine cable links can be dynamic (hanging from a platform) or static (laid on the sea floor). In this context, RTE is preparing for curative maintenance of several submarine cable links of its current and future networks on the Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean facades. Curative maintenance of RTE grid is to be planned for HVAC (including floating technology) tripolar cable, bundled HVDC (Two power cables and one fiber optic cable, connected with strapping systems) submarine cable links, unipolar HVDC (two cable in the same trench). By issuing the present Contract notice, RTE aims to identify and short-list potential candidates to perform marine operations activities related to a curative maintenance program of submarines HV cables. This marine operations activities shall encompass the means and personnel necessary to perform Offshore cable repair preparedness, engineering and operations, including provision of vessels, personnel and equipment/tools, for offshore wind farm export cables and interconnections in the English Channel / North Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea. The jointing operation is excluded from the scope of works/services. RTE is thus launching the present Contract notice to call for the application of economic operators with the technical expertise and resources necessary to carry out such services/works. The economic operators aiming to apply shall review and fulfill the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) available on RTE procurement portal BuyRTE (https://fournisseurs.buyrte.cloud-rte-france.com/portal/web/portal,login,mvc,MVCPortalLogin.vm). The applications of the present Contract notice will be evaluated and scored accordingly to the criteria defined in the PQQ. Only the Applicants selected, as a result of the assessment of the applications, will be invited to participate in the further competitive Tender to be published by RTE.