ABB wins $55 million submarine AC power cable contract in the UK

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth around $55 million to supply a submarine AC (alternating current) power cable system for a new wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk. The underwater cables will feed the electricity generated by the 400-megawatt (MW) Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm into the UK national grid. The order was received from Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited, a company owned by Statoil and Statkraft.

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm will be capable of producing enough electricity to power more than 400,000 UK homes annually. The turbines will be located in waters 18-25 meters deep on a 55-square-kilometer site situated 32 kilometers (km) off the coast of the seaside town of Cromer in north Norfolk. With an installed capacity of about 400 MW, the wind farm will produce enough ‘green’ energy to displace emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 19 million tonnes over its 25-year lifetime.

Electricity generated by the wind farm will be brought to shore via a seabed cable at Weybourne Hope, some 5 km west of the coastal town of Sheringham. From there, an underground cable will be laid to carry the electricity to Necton, where a purpose-built substation will enable it to be transmitted into the national grid.

“Offshore wind is a growing renewable energy resource, with Europe accounting for around 70 percent of new offshore wind generation capacity. Transporting electricity from offshore wind farms to the shore and then integrating it into the grid for supply to consumers are key elements,” said Claudio Facchin, Head of ABB’s Power Systems division. "This is a key focus area for ABB as we strive to balance the growing need for electricity while minimizing environmental impact. Our technological strengths, vast portfolio and rich experience in this area position us well to execute this project and we are delighted to have this opportunity.”

ABB will design and supply two 132-kilovolt (kV) three-core AC submarine cables, each 42 km in length, running from the wind farm’s offshore substation to Weybourne Hope, where they will connect to the onshore cables. The submarine cables will be manufactured at ABB’s high-voltage cable factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, and delivery will commence in 2016.

“The submarine export cable connection is a long-lead item and placing this contract represents a major milestone in the development of the Dudgeon project,” said Bjørn Ivar Bergemo, Asset Manager of the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm. “These cables will be some of the longest offshore cables ordered so far for a UK offshore wind project, and we look forward to working with ABB.”

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 150,000 people.