JDR Nabs Beatrice Inter-Array Cables Contract

Siem Offshore Contractors GmbH (SOC) has chosen the UK-based JDR Cable Systems Ltd.  to design, manufacture and supply inter-array grid cables for the 588MW Beatrice wind farm offshore Scotland.

Beatrice comprises 84  Siemens 7MW wind turbines, which will be inter-connected by 91 x 33 kV medium voltage alternating current submarine composite cables.

JDR will manufacture around 163km of 33kV submarine composite cables at its Hartlepool facility.

These will be directly loaded out into the turntables on-board SOC’s Cable Lay Vessel Siem Aimery.

The inter-array cables will be protected by Tekmar Energy’s cable protection systems.

In June 2016, SOC was awarded the contract for the turnkey supply and installation package of the inner array grid cable system for the Beatrice OWF by SHL Offshore Contractors BV.

SOC will be utilising in-house vessels and resources while leveraging over twenty years’ global experience in the installation of submarine power cables, most recently in the German offshore wind sector.

In addition to the submarine cable installation works, SOC will also provide associated materials and services including the supply of the submarine composite cables, cable protection systems and related accessories as well as post-installation termination, trenching and testing services.

The Beatrice OWF is located around 13 kilometres of the Caithness coast line in the Outer Moray Firth on the north-western point of the Smith Bank.

The offshore works for the package are due to begin in 2017, with project completion scheduled in 2018.