NKT commissions Moray East grid connection

NKT has commissioned the power cable project comprising three 220 kV HVAC power cable systems for the Moray East offshore wind farm.

Located 22 kilometres off the north-east coast of Scotland, the 950 MW wind farm will be capable of meeting the average electricity needs of 40 per cent of Scottish households, NKT said.

Commissioning work is underway at the 950 MW Moray East and the wind farm is scheduled to officially enter operation in 2022.

”Offshore wind is a cornerstone in mitigating climate change and we are pleased to continue to be a key player in making offshore wind a main element in the green transformation of the UK power supply,” said Executive Vice President Claes Westerlind, Head of the high-voltage Solutions in Karlskrona in NKT.

When the 100 Vestas 9.5 MW turbines are running at full capacity, the Moray East wind farm will be able to ensure the supply of green electricity for 950,000 households in Scotland, NKT said. This will reduce the annual CO2 emissions by 1.7 million tonnes compared to gas-fired power plants.

NKT completed the project according to the time plan and within the budget despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the North Sea weather conditions.

”The operational success was ensured by an efficient collaboration of all parties involved, showing strong commitment to HSE and time aspects with challenges posed by both COVID-19 restrictions and the harsh autumn weather. Once again, we demonstrated our flexibility and the value of our project experience ensuring a timely and qualitative installation in challenging conditions,” said Claes Westerlind, Executive Vice President in NKT.

The power cables were manufactured at the NKT factory in Karlskrona, Sweden. The installation of the submarine power cable systems was completed by NKT Victoria.

Currently, NKT is also involved in ongoing offshore wind projects in the UK such as Hornsea 2 and Dogger Bank, which will be the first offshore wind farm in the UK to be connected to shore with a HVDC power cable link.

Moray East is owned by Moray Offshore Windfarm East Ltd (MOWEL), a joint venture company owned by Ocean Winds (56.6 per cent), Diamond Green Limited (33.4 per cent), and CTG (10 per cent).