Export cable installation at Hornsea One offshore wind farm has been completed months ahead of schedule, Ørsted said on Tuesday.
With offshore export cables totaling 467 kilometers, around the same distance as London to Newcastle, plus an onshore cable route of 38 kilometers connecting each of the three strings to the national grid, it is said to be the longest AC offshore wind export cable system ever to have been installed.
The cables were manufactured by NKT at their facilities in Cologne and Karlskrona.
Tideway BV installed the three landfall cable sections using sub-contractor VBMS (Boskalis) and their vessel Ndurance.
The remainder of the cable sections were laid using Ocean Yield’s vessel Connector, and later Tideway’s own vessel, Living Stone.
When fully operational in 2020, Hornsea One’s 174 turbines will generate enough electricity for well over one million homes. The electricity generated by the turbines 120 kilometers out at sea will pass through one of three offshore substations, before being carried by three high voltage subsea export cables (245kV), via the reactive compensation station, to shore.
Duncan Clark , program director for Hornsea Projects One and Two, said: “ This record-breaking project is a step up in scale from the offshore wind farms we have today. It will be the first offshore wind farm in the world with a capacity over 1GW, and at 120 kilometers out to sea. We are pioneering new technology and really at the forefront of scaling up clean energy infrastructure with each phase we complete.
“ I’d personally like to thank our team including all of the contractors who have enabled us to reach this milestone ahead of schedule. Over 35 vessels were involved in delivering the installation, which was conducted safely and efficiently by all. An incredible feat of logistical coordination, and truly a landmark achievement for both the project and the growing offshore wind industry across the globe. ”
Termination and testing is also being completed ahead of schedule, and is expected to conclude within the first months of 2019.
In November, Ørsted announced that over 100 of the 174 foundations for Hornsea One have now been installed, and turbine installation is expected to begin in Q1 2019.