All three export cables for the Moray East offshore wind farm have been laid and pulled in, with the cable laying vessel NKT Victoria now demobilised after finishing the project.
The vessel Havila Phoenix is currently burying the three subsea power cables below the seabed by using remotely operated trenching vehicles. Cable trenching is expected to be ongoing until early November, and will be followed by a separate campaign to install remedial protection over the cables on any remaining unburied and unprotected sections, according to the project’s latest Notice of Operations.
Offshore construction at the project site located some 22 kilometres off the Aberdeenshire is progressing with other wind farm components as well.
So far, 42 wind turbine foundations have been installed by Seajacks Scylla and the inter-array cable installation work is now well underway.
Cable pull-ins and free lay of inter-array cables between wind turbine locations are being carried out by the Living Stone cable laying vessel, supported by Grand Canyon and Deep Cygnus vessels which are providing walk-to-work system for the operations.
The inter-array cable installation will be carried out in three campaigns. This first campaign started on 29 September and is expected to be completed by the end of November.
Moray East, whose three offshore transformer modules (OTMs) have been in place since mid-September, will feature 100 MHI Vestas 9.5 MW wind turbines.
The offshore wind farm is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022.
Photo: NKT; The NKT Victoria vessel