UK: DeepOcean awarded cable installation contract for DONG Energy's Walney Extension wind farm

Offshore work will be performed from DeepOcean’s new cable installation vessel Maersk Connector in 2017.

DeepOcean has a long track record of subsea power cable installation on critical infrastructure projects. This is the second recent award for DeepOcean’s new cable lay vessel Maersk Connector, which joins the fleet in the first quarter 2016. DeepOcean’s scope includes route engineering as well as the installation and trenching of a total of 136 km offshore export cables and a 23 km interlink cable. The cables will be pulled ashore near Heysham and will link the two offshore sub station platforms at the windfarm. Offshore work is expected to commence first quarter 2017, subject to DONG Energy taking a final investment decision to proceed with the project.

The Walney Extension Project, WOW03 (west) and WOW04 (east), is anticipated to have a total capacity of 660MW. With up to 90 turbines each with a 7MW or 8MW output and 2 offshore substations and is to be constructed by DONG Energy AS, as the sole owner of the Project.  WOW03 and WOW04 will consist of 2 x 220kV independent electrical systems each with their own offshore sub stations. The project is situated in the Irish Sea west-south-west of the Isle of Walney coast in Cumbria.

DeepOcean’s Ottar Maeland, EVP Greater North Sea said, “We are delighted to be expanding our relationship with DONG Energy from the offshore oil and gas market to the key growth area of offshore wind.  This is a major contract using our state of the art new cable installation vessel Maersk Connector and the versatile installation and trenching vessel Havila Phoenix. DeepOcean’s investments in these advanced vessels and trenching systems are helping our customers bring down the risk and cost of offshore wind developments. DeepOcean’s investments and capabilities illustrate how the UK supply chain is working hard to support our Customers in bring clean power to millions of UK families.”