Onshore milestones met on Moray East Offshore Wind Farm project
Completion of the Moray East offshore wind farm came a step closer as Siemens Energy announced work to install the onshore cable had ended.
Image for illustration purposes
UK, Scotland, Banff: Completion of the Moray East offshore wind farm came a step closer as Siemens Energy, lead contractor for the 950 MW project, announced work to install the onshore cable had ended.
The onshore cable, which starts near Banff, Aberdeenshire, takes the power generated offshore from the three 220 kV subsea cables, and transmits it to the new onshore substation at New Deer, where it connects into the grid.
The works, which started in October 2018 saw more than 300,000 m of high voltage cable laid across the 34.5 km route.
Siemens Energy, looking to limit the environmental impact of its construction work subcontracted the work to a specialist contractor VolkerInfra, with vast experience in Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD).
HDD is a minimal impact trenchless method of installing underground cables, using a surface-launched drilling rig, which reduces the impact to people, wildlife, and the environment. It also removes the need to interface with existing utility infrastructure, such as water and gas pipelines.
Mark Pilling, Head of Transmission Solutions, Siemens Energy UK&I, said: “The onshore cable is a vital part of the windfarm, bringing the energy generated offshore into the onshore substation and into people’s homes. Using horizontal directional drilling has not only limited the environmental impact of the project, but also removed a large amount of disruption to people’s lives in this rural area. It is likely most people will not know that 34 km of cable has been laid through the landscape.”
Three super grid transformers and shunt reactors are now commissioned, with works to install, commission and test the high voltage cables progressing at pace.
The wind farm, 22 km off the Aberdeenshire coast in Scotland, will have an installed generation capacity of 950 MW after its completion. It will be capable of providing low cost, low carbon power to the equivalent of one million Scottish homes, 40 % of the country, making a significant contribution to meeting Net Zero ambitions.
Source: Siemens Energy