First Subsea to Launch New OWF Cabling Equipment

First Subsea will launch a new monopile interface connector for offshore wind monopiles and top tension connector for floating wind turbines on stand A-D8 at EWEA Offshore 2015. 

“First Subsea connector technology gives installation companies the ability to significantly reduce cable installation and mooring costs while improving the quality of these subsea connections,” says John Shaw, managing director, First Subsea.

First Subsea has streamlined the process of cable connection and termination with its combination of monopile interface connector (MIC) and hang off cable connector (HOC). The MIC secures the cable’s monopile connection while the HOC holds the pre-terminated cable in position on the hang-off deck ready for connection.

The company has also developed an innovative top tension connector for the deployment of wind farms further offshore at water depths in excess of 80m, where monopiles are considered impractical.

The top tension connector will allow the installation contractor to moor and tension a floating turbine’s mooring lines without the need for specialist tensioning equipment, and surface vessels requiring significant capex, that currently restricts the commercialisation of floating offshore wind farms. It uses a simple push and grip technology to connect mooring lines to a range of floating wind turbine platforms including tension leg platform, spar and semi-submersible.

Source: First Subsea