Pre-lay trenching work along a number of inter-array cable routes within the Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farm site are due to begin around 7 August, ahead of the installation of cables at a later date.
The inter-array cable routes will be trenched by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) which will be deployed and controlled from the Living Stone vessel.
The activities will start with pre-trenching survey on the inter-array cable routes, to be carried out by the vessel Guardian.
Once complete and the routes are confirmed clear of any seabed obstructions, the ROV equipped with a jetting tool and mechanical cutting tool will be deployed for pre-lay trenching. The ROV will be guided to the inter-array cable routes and commence cutting operations along the seabed.
Guardian will also perform a post-trenching survey to monitor the trenching depth and, from 6 September, an additional vessel will join the fleet on the site to undertake survey and crew transfer operations.
Neart na Gaoithe, located some 15 kilometers off the Fife coast in Scotland, will comprise 54 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbines.
The 450 MW project entered the offshore construction phase in August 2020 and the export cable work for the project is now nearing completion.
The offshore wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in 2023.