Cabling contract for world’s biggest wind farm

Wind project developer DONG Energy has awarded UK company JDR Cables its biggest array cable contract yet – to supply subsea power cables for the proposed giant Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm. With a capacity of 1.2 GW, when built the Hornsea Project One will be the first wind farm in the world with over 1 GW of generating capacity.

The contract is the largest array cable award in JDR’s history and will see the company design and manufacture
242 km of array cables, covering two-thirds of the total wind farm capacity. JDR, which has manufacturing facilities in Hartlepool, will also provide terminations, hang-off arrangements and additional accessories as well as services at the site.

DONG Energy and JDR have a framework agreement in place to enhance current designs and develop new technologies and processes to improve the quality and price of subsea power cables.

Earlier this year DONG Energy announced contracts with JDR and two other UK firms to supply and install array cables for the Race Bank wind farm. Array cables connect each of the wind turbines in the offshore wind farm, via the offshore substation, to the main export cable that transmits electricity generated back to shore and into the national grid.

Commenting on the contact award, RenewableUK Chief Executive, Hugh McNeal, said: ‘Today’s announcement shows that the offshore wind industry is delivering massive economic and industrial benefits to Britain. Offshore wind farm developers are committed to maximising UK content in their projects, as this contract demonstrates. The offshore wind industry is bringing well over £20bn in investment to Britain over the course of this decade, creating thousands of jobs. This is happening not only in Hartlepool, but also across the UK, from Liverpool to Lowestoft and from the Isle of Wight to the Isle of Mull.’