Moray West to Start 2023 with Export Cable Route UXO Work

Wind Farm Update

December 30, 2022, by Adrijana Buljan

A dive vessel, DSV Curtis Marshall, is scheduled to soon begin investigations and disposal of potential unexploded ordnance (pUXO) at the nearshore part of the export cable corridor of the Moray West offshore wind farm, close to the town of Portsoy. This work will be followed by the commencement of the first construction activities on the export cable corridor.

The vessel is expected to arrive on site on 4 January, with UXO disposal works anticipated to
commence no earlier than 8 January.

The operations, which are expected to last for approximately three weeks, will involve inspecting nine potential UXO targets in shallow water with divers. Should any of the potential UXO be confirmed as actual unexploded ordnance, it will be disposed of using a technique called deflagration.

Furthermore, construction works at this part of the export cable corridor will also commence next month and are scheduled to kick off no earlier than on 22 January. The first construction works to be carried out involve nearshore horizontal directional drilling (HDD), to be performed utilising the diving from vessel Isle of Jura.

Export cables for the 882 MW offshore wind project in Scotland will be delivered by Nexans, which will design, manufacture, install and protect the 220kV subsea and onshore export cable system under a turnkey contract with Ocean Winds, the project developer.

The Moray West offshore wind farm, located in the Moray Firth, approximately 22.5 kilometres from the Caithness coastline, will comprise 60 Siemens Gamesa 14.7 MW wind turbines.