Offshore construction phase at the 258MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm is scheduled to start in June 2016, DONG Energy said in a community newsletter.
The installation of the export cable, turbine foundations and the offshore substation is set to kick off in June. July is reserved for the installation of the offshore cable array. The first of 32 MHI Vestas 8MW turbines will be installed in September, DONG said.
Following the successful completion of the offshore construction phase, the wind farm is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2017.
In the summer months, DONG will wrap up onshore works related to the project with further cable installation works at the landfall site on the Ffrith Beach, North Wales.
This follows on from the horizontal directional drilling works in spring 2015 where ducting was installed.
This activity will involve pulling the offshore cable from a vessel positioned 2.5 kilometres offshore into the pre-installed drill duct and towards a position south of the Rhyl Railway line where it will be joined to the onshore cable. The first section of the offshore cable will be brought in by sea in June 2016.
Following the completion of onshore works, DONG will carry out reinstatement works at the onshore cable and substation sites, expected to start during late spring and early summer 2016.
Burbo Bank Extension is located in Liverpool Bay, west of the existing 90MW Burbo Bank OWF, approximately 7 kilometres north of Hoylake, Wirral, and 12.2 kilometres from the Point of Ayr, Wales.