DEME Offshore’s cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’ will be deployed to lay the 650km of 66kV inter-array cables and associated cable protection systems for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. Image source: DEME Offshore

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has signed a contract with DEME Offshore for the world's largest inter-array cable order which, subject to the project reaching Financial Close, will be installed at Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B.

The far-reaching scope of this ground-breaking contract includes the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of the subsea cables for the combined first two phases of the offshore wind farm. In total DEME Offshore will supply, install and protect 650km of 66kV inter-array cables and all related accessories.

The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea and is currently being developed in three 1.2GW phases by joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor. Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete and will generate enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes every year – around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs.

Production of the cable will start in 2021 and will be installed using DEME’s cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’, which has a cable capacity of more than 10,000 tonnes. The vessel has a unique dual-lane system, consisting of two cable highways – one for laying the cable and one where the next cable can be simultaneously prepared and have the cable protection system (CPS) installed. This significantly reduces the time needed for preparing the cables, minimises manual handling, increases the vessel’s workability and ultimately, improves production rates.

DEME Offshore will work closely with SSE Renewables and Equinor to engage with the UK supply chain in the delivery of the project.

Steve Wilson, Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s Project Director at SSE Renewables, said:
“We are delighted to welcome DEME Offshore to the Dogger Bank project to undertake the manufacturing and installation of the 66kV inter-array cables for Dogger Bank phases A and B in what is the largest 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 650km of cable required for Dogger Bank A and B.”

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor said:
“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.”

Bart De Poorter, General Manager DEME Offshore, commented:
“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.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s three projects, Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C, secured 3.6 GW of offshore wind contracts in the UK Government’s 2019 contracts for difference auctions.

SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm and Equinor will lead on operations for its lifetime of at least 25 years, creating around 200 jobs in the North East from its new Operations and Maintenance base.

The contract with DEME Offshore is subject to joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor reaching Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, expected in late 2020.

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