Ørsted and Prysmian Group have signed a contract to supply submarine inter–array cables for the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, the 1,386MW Hornsea Project Two.
In total, over 300km of 66kV inter-array cables will be supplied by Prysmian Group, with 900km of cable cores manufactured in Wrexham, UK.
As a result of this order, Prysmian Group is upgrading its Wrexham facility to become the first UK facility to manufacture submarine array cable cores.
“Prysmian’s investment is a clear display of confidence in the UK’s flourishing renewable sector, and will contribute to improving quality of life in the UK for generations to come,” UK Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart , said.
Under the terms of the multi-million-pound contract, Prysmian will be responsible for the design, manufacture, supply, termination and testing of inter–array submarine cables connecting 110 out of the wind farm’s 165 turbines and the offshore substation platform. The cables are due to be delivered in 2021.
Alessandro Panico , Sales Team Manager Offshore Wind Prysmian Group, said: “ This key investment in our Wrexham facility is a sign of the growth of the UK offshore wind supply chain, and our strategic ambitions in the renewables industry. This order represents around two years of production for this facility, and will benefit other companies that want to deliver competitive local content in their UK projects.”
The Hornsea Project Two wind farm, currently being constructed by Ørsted, will be located 89 kilometres off the Yorkshire Coast, UK. When operational in 2022, it will be able to supply well over 1.3 million UK homes with green electricity, the developer said.
”This inward investment is a clear signal of confidence in the continued growth of offshore wind in the UK,” Duncan Clark , Programme Director for Hornsea Projects One and Two at Ørsted, said.
“In order to maintain the UK’s leading position in offshore wind, further development of a robust, competitive supply chain is needed to not only provide for UK projects, but also to take advantage of exporting abroad as the industry continues to grow globally. Working with Prysmian to secure locally manufactured cable cores is just one of the ways we are engaging with suppliers to ensure our wind projects have the highest viable proportion of UK content.”