In a significant milestone for the world’s largest offshore wind farm, over 200 miles (328 kilometers) of 66KV inter-array cables have been successfully installed on Dogger Bank A. These cables, manufactured by Hellenic Cables under a contract with DEME Offshore, are crucial for connecting the wind farm’s turbines to its offshore convertor station.
The cable laying was executed by DEME Offshore’s Viking Neptun, with burial works completed by another vessel, Living Stone. This marks the end of all inter-array cable installations for Dogger Bank A, a phase that started generating power in October 2023. The network consists of 95 cables, each up to 8.6 miles long, linking 95 Haliade-X 13MW turbines to the convertor station, where the electricity is converted into direct current for transmission to the onshore convertor station via an innovative HVDC system.
Deploying these cables involves a complex process using a specialist cable lay vessel equipped with a carousel and tensioner device. This method ensures the cables are precisely laid over the stern chute of the vessel and onto the seabed. After laying, the cables are connected to the offshore platform and each wind turbine. This demanding engineering task followed an intensive preparation period, including underwater surveys to clear the cable laying corridor of obstacles.
Hellenic Cables and DEME Offshore are not just stopping at Dogger Bank A. They are also set to handle the manufacture and installation of inter-array cables for the next phases, Dogger Bank B and C. The first inter-array cable for Dogger Bank B is slated for installation starting autumn 2024.
Alan Evans, Dogger Bank Wind Farm Marine Package Manager, praised the teamwork involved in this phase. “This is another important part of our Dogger Bank A marine work complete, and is the result of a great collaboration between all parties involved. With 277 cables to be installed in total, it’s by far the biggest inter-array cable installation programme undertaken to date in offshore wind. The safe and smooth completion of this phase is a huge credit to the entire team.”
Geert Linthout, Project Director at DEME Offshore, echoed these sentiments. “The teams at Dogger Bank and DEME Offshore have collaborated closely to achieve this significant project milestone. Throughout the execution, DEME Offshore has successfully deployed both the Living Stone and the newly added cable installation vessel Viking Neptun, demonstrating outstanding performance. This has provided a solid and reliable basis for the upcoming Dogger Bank B phase and, subsequently, the Dogger Bank C phase. We are excited to continue our strong working relationship on Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C.”
This successful completion sets a robust foundation for the subsequent phases, ensuring the world’s largest offshore wind farm continues to make strides in renewable energy production.
