Vattenfall taps Hellenic Cables for 4.2 GW Norfolk offshore wind zone

Hellenic Cables has signed an agreement with the Swedish energy company Vattenfall to supply inter-array cables for the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone in the UK.

Under the agreement, the Greek cable manufacturer will provide approximately 850 kilometres of aluminium cables which will be used to connect the wind turbines to the offshore substation.

“The Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone will provide around 4.6m UK homes with clean, low cost power, making it one of the largest in the world. I’m delighted that Hellenic Cables are on board, using their expertise to provide the inter array cables and bringing the whole project another step closer to delivery“, said Rob Anderson, Project Director of Vattenfall’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone.

The Norfolk Zone comprises the Norfolk Vanguard and the Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farms.

In December 2022, the developer increased the capacity for the Norfolk Zone from 3.6 GW to over 4.2 GW, meaning that an additional 700,000 homes will be powered by the zone.

Located 72 kilometres off the Norfolk coast in southeast Britain, the 1.4 GW Norfolk Boreas is the first phase of the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone for which Vattenfall secured a Contract for Difference in July last year.

Subject to a final investment decision, construction on the project will begin this year and the wind farm is expected to produce its first power in 2027.

Norfolk Vanguard is located some 47 kilometres from the Norfolk coast. The wind farm was awarded a Development Consent Order (DCO) in February 2022.

Vattenfall selected Peel Ports as the preferred bidder, and its port at Great Yarmouth as the location for the operations and maintenance base of the Norfolk Zone. DEME, LS Cable & Systems will be responsible to provide export cables for both offshore wind farms.