First Offshore Export Cable Installed At Inch Cape Wind Farm Off Scotland

The first offshore export cable has been successfully installed at the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, marking a major milestone in the project’s construction phase off the east coast of Scotland.

The 220-kilovolt (kV), three-phase export cable, stretching 85 kilometres, was installed in three 28-kilometre sections by Enshore Subsea using the CMOS Installer cable-laying vessel operating from the Port of Blyth.

Once operational, the cable will carry electricity from the 1.1-gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm to the project’s new onshore substation currently under construction at Cockenzie, East Lothian.

The installation required two offshore joints, which were completed with the assistance of the vessel North Sea Giant. The cable will soon be buried beneath the seabed to ensure protection and stability.

The 2000mm² cable, manufactured by Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co. Ltd (Orient Cable), is among the largest alternating current (AC) export cables in the world.

A second 85-kilometre export cable will also be installed by Enshore Subsea in 2026, again laid in three 28-kilometre sections during a separate campaign.

According to project officials, the completion of the first export cable represents a crucial connection between the offshore and onshore substations. The achievement reflects the strong collaboration between the Inch Cape project team and its supply chain partners, including Orient Cable and Enshore Subsea.

The CEO of Enshore Subsea, Pierre Boyde, said that the installation marks an important step in the project’s progress and emphasised their ongoing commitment to supporting the safe and efficient completion of the remaining offshore works.

Inch Cape’s offshore construction phase is now well underway, with both the offshore substation platform and the first export cable installed. The first of the project’s XXL monopiles has also arrived at the Port of Leith.

In 2026, the developers plan to install monopile and jacket foundations along with the first of 72 Vestas 15-megawatt (MW) turbines. The onshore substation at Cockenzie is also expected to be completed next year.

The project remains on schedule to deliver first power by late 2026 and to begin full commercial operations in 2027.

Inch Cape, owned equally by ESB and Red Rock Renewables, is expected to produce around 5 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity each year, enough to power about half of Scotland’s homes.

Reference: inchcapewind

Source: Maritime Shipping News