Balmoral Comtec, a Balmoral Group company, has been awarded a multi-billion-pound contract for the supply of cable protection systems for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK.
The scope of work includes design engineering which will take place at Balmoral Comtec’s Aberdeen facility, supply of 400 cable protection systems, and handling and installation training to the awarded marine contractor.
Managing the challenges of over-bending, abrasion, and fatigue of underwater cables can be an ongoing challenge for offshore wind developers.
Balmoral’s patented system uses validated materials designed to improve operational performance and increase fatigue life, said the company.
The system mechanically locks together removing a reliance on PU bonding.
Ørsted made the final investment decision for the GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, located approximately 160 kilometers off the Yorkshire coast, in December last year.
Hellenic Cables and Prysmian Group signed a contract with Ørsted for the inter-array cables, while the export cables will be supplied by NKT.
With 231 wind turbines and a generation capacity of 2,852 MW, Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
When the project comes online, the combined capacity of Hornsea 1, 2, and 3 will be in excess of 5 GW, making it one of the world’s largest offshore wind zones.