Seaway 7, JDR to deliver inter-array cables for Moray West offshore wind farm

Moray West Offshore Wind Farm has signed contracts with Seaway 7 and JDR for the supply and installation of the inter-array cables (IACs) for the 882 MW offshore wind project in Scotland.

The IACs will connect 60 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD wind turbines back to the offshore substation before exporting the power back to the onshore connection point at Blackhillock near Keith.

To ensure resilience in exporting renewable energy, the contract also covers an interconnection cable that will be installed and buried in the seabed to connect the two offshore substations.

A total of approximately 125 kilometres of 66 kV subsea cables will be supplied by JDR and installed by Seaway 7.

The cable will be manufactured at JDR’s facility in Hartlepool and will utilise the newly upgraded vertical layup machine.

This contract for JDR supports the latest decision by the company to open a new £130 million (about €148 million) subsea cable manufacturing facility in Cambois, near Blyth, Northumberland.

The 69,000 sqm facility, expected to be opened in 2024, will include a new catenary continuous vulcanisation (CCV) line, making it the only facility in the UK capable of full start-to-finish manufacturing of high-voltage subsea cables for offshore wind projects.

Following the announcement of the Letter of Award to Seaway 7 near the beginning of August progress has been rapid to finalise the contract for signature, the developer said.

Execution of the scope is being led from Seaway 7’s Aberdeen office and the contract is valued between $50 million (approximately €50 million) and $150 million (about €150 million).

“The Moray West project enables us to secure even more jobs based in our Aberdeen office, from where this project will be managed, developing and growing our skilled workforce to meet the industry needs in the region”, said Lloyd Duthie, Vice President – UK and Asia for Seaway 7.

The Moray West offshore wind farm is located in the Moray Firth, approximately 22.5 kilometres from the Caithness coastline.

The project secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) as part of the UK Government’s latest CfD Allocation Round.  

The offshore wind farm is developed and majority-owned by Ocean Winds, with Lithuania’s Ignitis Group holding a minority share in the project.

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