LS Cable & System has shipped a 34.5kV subsea export cable for the 30MW Block Island offshore wind farm from its South Korean factory.
The 35km transmission wire (pictured) is expected to arrive by barge in early April into Quonset Point in Rhode Island.
The custom-designed cable was produced to National Grid’s specifications based on industry standards and the specific requirements of the Block Island Sound installation.
The utility, which also is purchasing the wind farm output, will build and own the $107m interconnection facilities.
Block Island developer Deepwater Wind also contracted with LS Cable to build a similar cable for the turbine interarray system. Durocher Marine is lined up to install the cables by jet plow in the spring.
Contractors Caldwell Marine and Environmental Crossings have started horizontal directional drilling where the cable will make landfall in Narragansett.
Deepwater constructed five steel jacket foundations in 2015 and plans to install GE Haliade 150 6MW turbines this summer.
Block Island is expected to start commercial operation in late 2016.
Image: National Grid
