Samenvatting

Due to growing power consumption and the energy transition, installation of high-voltage underground cables (HVUC) is becoming increasingly crucial for increasing transmission capacity while minimising societal and environmental disruption. This thesis, completed in a professional setting at Witteveen+Bos, addresses the challenges of selecting an appropriate HVUC installation method based on real-world project conditions in the Netherlands. This research developed a framework used to compare three HVUC installation methods: open trench, ploughing and horizontal directional drilling (HDD).

The framework was created using a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). Literature review was used to identify the key comparative criteria, relevant stakeholders, and the functional and performance requirements of the framework. The criteria used were installation cost, cable laying speed, soil compatibility, existing infrastructure constraints, CO₂ emissions, NOx emissions, NH₃ emissions, and land-use disturbance. Each installation method was scored based on a 1-5 scale, and the final MCA framework including criteria weights was tested against a real-life case study provided by Witteveen+Bos.

Under equal criteria weights, ploughing was the overall preferred installation method due to its low cost, quick installation, low emissions, and minimal land-use disturbance. HDD was the second preferred installation method, due to its application feasibility in areas with existing infrastructure constraints, while open trench had the least performance due to higher emissions, slower installation speed, and greater land-use disturbance. In the case study, HDD became the preferable solution since existing infrastructure constraints were prioritised. However, the sensitivity analysis revealed that ploughing became the preferred installation method when cost, laying speed and existing infrastructure constraints were equally prioritised.

The study shows that no single installation method is preferred for all HVUC projects in the Netherlands. Instead, the best method is determined by project-specific conditions, stakeholder priorities, and technical limitations. Therefore, the developed MCA framework can assist engineers in selecting a more justified and reasonable installation method throughout the planning and design phases of HVUC projects in the Netherlands.