Irish offshore wind farm seeks Tier 1 contractors

SSE Renewables has issued contract notices seeking Tier 1 contractors for the Arklow Bank Phase 2 wind farm project offshore Ireland.

Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 is located approximately 6 to 15 kilometres off the coast of Arklow, Co. Wicklow and covers an area approximately 27 kilometres long and 2.5 kilometres wide.

The wind farm will have a maximum export capacity of up to 800 MW and will consist of up to approximately 62 turbines.

The project will participate in Ireland’s first offshore auction in late 2022/early 2023.

The scope of this contract includes fabrication, storage and loadout of monopile, and transition piece if applicable, based wind turbine substructures, including secondary and tertiary steel in accordance with the employer’s requirements and programme.

The selected contractor will be responsible for all project management, quality management, health and safety management, interface cooperation management, fabrication engineering, temporary works, fabrication supply chain management, materials, procurement, load-out activities and logistics required to safely and successfully deliver the works.

Another contract covers the seafastening, transportation, installation, hookup, commissioning, and completion of the monopile foundations and all related secondary components.

The scope here includes responsibility for all project management, quality management, health and safety management, transportation and installation-related design and engineering, lift engineering, marshalling ports, temporary works, interface management, procurement, and contracting required to safely and successfully deliver the works.

Both contracts will have a duration of 24 months.

Interested parties have until 24 February to apply, and SSE Renewables will dispatch invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates at the end of April.

SSE Renewables is also seeking a contractor to carry out the supply, transport, and installation of the wind farm’s inter-array cable system.

The scope of this contract includes responsibility for the design, supply, manufacture, storage, loadout, transportation, installation, burial, protection, testing, and commissioning of the 66 kV array cable system in accordance with the employer’s requirements and programme.

The cable system will include inter-array cables, fibre optic cables, interface cables, interface connections, cable protection system, joint equipment, joints, terminal equipment, terminations, and all other items which will be detailed in the employer’s requirements.

The selected contractor will be responsible for all project management, quality management, health and safety management, design and installation engineering, interface management, procurement, and contracting required to safely and successfully deliver the works. The design, construction, testing, and general provisions for cables shall comply with the latest versions of the applicable specification and standards as detailed in the employer’s requirements.

This notice will also remain open until 24 February. SSE Renewables will dispatch invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates in early May.

Arklow Bank Phase 2 builds on the existing 7-turbine 25 MW Arklow Bank Phase 1, which SSE co-developed with GE Energy in 2004 as a demonstrator project.

Arklow Bank Phase 1 is Ireland’s first and only operating offshore wind farm. Arklow Bank 2 is poised to become the country’s first offshore wind farm of scale, aiming to start producing electricity by 2025.