The first third of the onshore high voltage cables for the 3600MW Dogger Bank offshore wind farm have now been installed in the UK.
Jones Bros Civil Engineering is delivering the land-based infrastructure for the first two phases of the project which will connect to the National Grid near Beverley in East Yorkshire.
The Welsh company is installing an approximate total of 129km of underground cabling in ducts on the site across two routes, using a combination of trenching and horizontal directional drilling, where trenches are not suitable such as through water courses.
Much of the site is entering a winter shutdown in order to preserve the quality of the soil, with around 75% of the DC electrical ducting system that will house high voltage cables already installed, Jones Bros said.
Drilling will continue into the new year, with the firm planning to complete this aspect in spring 2022, the company added.
Jones Bros project manager James Lockwood said: “We have made excellent progress while the weather has been with us, and as such have installed a significant amount of cable.
“The cable itself runs across two routes: a DC route which goes from the connection point with offshore cables to the converter station, and a shorter AC route, which then runs from the converter station to National Grid infrastructure.
“Additionally, we have been able to start some works restoring parts of the site, a process which includes sowing a mix of specially selected cover crops that will help maintain the nutrient levels in the soil in preparation of the final reinstatements work due to carried out next year.
“Once better weather returns in the spring, we’ll be back underway with high voltage duct and cable installation, working towards a final site handover in June 2023.”
The company said the team have also constructed 28 of the project’s 74 joint bays, which will form part of the infrastructure for the connection between offshore power cables and the mains grid.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm onshore works manager Oliver Flattery said: “Great progress has been made over the last few years to prepare the land-based infrastructure for the first two phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
“We remain committed to operating safely, sustainably and respectfully as we continue our drilling work in East Riding of Yorkshire, and as duct and cable installation work picks up again in the Spring.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is being built more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea, is currently being developed in three 1.2GW phases: A, B and C.
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%).
SSE Renewables and Equinor recently announced that Eni will take a 20% stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40% stakes each.
The deal is expected to be completed in Q1 2022, subject to Dogger Bank C Financial Close and regulatory approvals.