Van Oord Picks WIND for Borkum Riffgrund 2 Cable Works

Van Oord has contracted Dutch subsea cable logistics specialist WIND to support the cable transfer operations on the Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind project.

Borkum Riffgrund 1. Image source: Ørsted

The first stage of the contract will start in March in the port of Nordenham, Germany, and will consist of spooling 36 cable reels and four static tanks of array cable onto Van Oord’s cable laying vessel Nexus.

Once Van Oord installs the cables, WIND will continue its work in Harwich, UK, where the company will support Van Oord with ship-to-shore cable transfer operations from the Nexus to an onshore storage facility for any remaining cables. The activities are scheduled for June.

“We are very proud that Van Oord has once again entrusted us with coordinating their cable transfer logistics. This contract will strengthen our already long relationship,” said WIND Commercial Director Erik Thomas.

Located next to the 312MW Borkum Riffgrund 1 in the German North Sea, the 450MW Borkum Riffgrund 2 will comprise 56 MHI Vestas 8MW turbines, expected to be fully commissioned in 2019.

Ørsted, the developer of Borkum Riffgrund 2, sold 50% of the wind farm to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in August last year for a total consideration of approximately EUR 1.17 billion.