Ørsted has signed a contract with UK-based VolkerFitzpatrick to install onshore cables for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK.
Under the contract, which is subject to Ørsted reaching Final Investment Decision (FID) on the project, VolkerFitzpatrick will install 240 kilometres of onshore cables connecting the offshore wind farm from the landfall at Weybourne in Norfolk to the National Grid Norwich Main Substation.
VolkerFitzpatrick, part of the VolkerWessels UK group, will be responsible for the civil works associated with the cable installation and grid connection, the cable installation itself, and the reinstatement of land following the installation of the HDVC cables, including tree and hedgerow planting.
Located 160 kilometres from the Yorkshire coast, the 2,852 MW Hornsea 3 was one of the five offshore wind projects which secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the most recent auction round in the UK.
The wind farm will feature more than 200 wind turbines installed across an area of almost 700 square kilometres.
After securing a CfD, Ørsted awarded an EPCI contract for the two HDVC offshore converter platforms to Aibel, which will deliver them in partnership with Hitachi Energy. In July, Aibel contracted Heerema Marine Contractors to transport and install the two platforms for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm.
“As well as providing low-cost clean energy at scale, Hornsea 3 is also supporting the further development of the UK supply chain. Through our partnerships with leading industry expertise, such as VolkerFitzpatrick, we will be looking to share opportunities with UK suppliers and contractors to work on this ground-breaking project”, said Luke Bridgman , Hornsea 3 Senior Project Director.
As for VolkerWessels UK, the company already worked on Ørsted’s Hornsea Two offshore wind project. Its subsidiary, VolkerInfra, completed the onshore cable installation for the wind farm in 2021.