Boskalis has kicked off route clearance and trenching activity at Orsted’s Hornsea 2 project off the Yorkshire coast.
A spokesperson for the developer said the Dutch marine contractor began trenching and clearing the 1.4GW project’s array cable areas and export cable route this month using its Boka Falcon vessel (pictured).
“Boskalis is using a boulder clearance tool to ready the seabed ahead of works with a new pre-lay plough, built by Newcastle-based Soil Machine Dynamics,” a spokesperson for the developer said.
The company delivered the 200-tonne plough earlier this year. It can be used in different modes to complete boulder clearance and trenching operations.
Orsted said the project’s construction timetable is not expected to be hit by coronavirus-related delays.
“Offshore construction is still expected to complete in 2022, with plans currently running according to schedule,” the spokesperson added.
Boskalis is due to start installing export cables at the project later this year.
Nexans of France is supplying 200km of 245kV-rated nearshore cables, while Denmark’s NKT will provide 190km of 220kv-rated far-shore lines.