NKT has completed a 38-day turnkey repair on one of the 220kV export cables at the 588MW Beatrice offshore wind farm in Scotland, according to the company.
NKT said the fault in April cut the project’s export capacity by 50%, prompting a coordinated response led by the manufacturer alongside Transmission Capital Partners and asset operator SSE Renewables on behalf of Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd.
The company said the cable, which it did not manufacture, was repaired using two adaptive rigid sea joints mobilised from stock within days.
Bruce Turner, asset manager at Transmission Capital Partners, said: “A key enabler for the rapid repair was NKT’s ability to provide the adaptive rigid sea joints directly off the shelf, allowing us to use NKT repair services on this asset expediting the repair program in advance of other options available to us.”
NKT said its cable handling system enabled the operation to be carried out on the North Sea Giant, which was mobilised in Eemshaven within six days and later loaded with spare cable.
Alanna Benians, Beatrice general manager at SSE Renewables, said: “It was a privilege to be part of a project team that successfully delivered such a complex repair within an exceptionally short timeframe, finalising the repair several months earlier than alternative deployable repair solutions, and substantially minimising downtime and significantly reducing energy and revenue losses.”
NKT said the cable was re-energised by the end of July, 38 days after contract signing, restoring full transmission capability.
Axel Barnekow Widmark, EVP for service and installation at NKT, said: “NKT’s comprehensive service portfolio and innovative technologies enabled a significantly accelerated repair process. We are proud to have supported the Beatrice offshore wind farm in returning the export system to full operation swiftly.”
Beatrice has two 70km export cables and supplies power to around 450,000 homes, according to the developer.