DEME Offshore has been awarded a significant EPCI contract for inter-array cables at wind farms Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B in the UK, the first two phases of the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank wind farm, which is the world’s largest under construction offshore wind farm.
The wide-ranging reach covers engineering, procurement, construction and installation of subsea cables for the combined 2.4 GW wind farm. DEME Offshore will supply, install and protect 650 kilometers of 66 kV inter-fixed cables and all associated accessories.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is situated more than 130 km off England’s North East coast and is currently being built by the joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor in three 1.2 GW stages.
When complete, Dogger Bank will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world and produce enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes per year–about 5 percent of the UK’s electricity needs.
Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B cable production will commence in 2021 and will be installed by hte Living Stone cable installation vessel. She was picked based on her enormous cable ability of over 10,000 tons and proven track record.
This unique vessel features a dual-lane network constructed by DEME, consisting of two cable highways-one for cable laying and one where the next cable can be simultaneously prepared and the cable protection system (CPS) mounted.
“We are very proud to have been awarded this exceptional project, which represents the largest ever inter-array cable contract in the world to date. The renowned cable-laying capabilities and stellar reputation of ‘Living Stone’ were key factors in securing this important contract.”
Bart De Poorter, general manager DEME Offshore.
“We are delighted to welcome DEME Offshore to the Dogger Bank project to undertake the manufacturing and installation of the 66 kV inter-array cables for Dogger Bank phases A and B in what is the largest ever inter-array cable order of its type. DEME, using its state of the art ‘Living Stone’ vessel, has a proven track record in delivering large inter-array cable scopes, and this experience and capability will be essential to successfully install the 650 km of cable required for Dogger Bank A and B.”
Steve Wilson, Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s project director at SSE Renewables.
“Dogger Bank Wind Farm is pioneering new technology, and at the forefront of scaling up significant energy infrastructure. This contract, for the largest ever order for inter array cables, demonstrates the sheer scale of this project: when complete it will be able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs with power from the wind. The dual lane system on the ‘Living Stone’ means we can reduce the time needed to install the cables, which for a project of this size greatly helps to reduce costs.”
Halfdan Brustad, vice president for Dogger Bank at Equinor.
