Van Oord has completed array cable installation at RWE’s flagship Sofia offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
This marks the completion of Van Oord’s full scope of works on the project and follows its successful installation of Sofia’s 100 monopile foundations in July this year.
Approximately 360 kilometres of array cable have now been installed and tested, connecting Sofia’s 100 turbines to the wind farm’s offshore converter platform (OCP).
The OCP is at the heart of the Sofia project and converts electricity generated from 66kV alternating current (AC) to 320kV direct current, so it can be transported onshore with optimum efficiency.
The power travels along two giant export cables, which run approximately 220km along the seabed from the OCP to the Teesside coastline.
The project is currently aiming for a target operational date of 2026.
Much of the array cable installation process was delivered by Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Calypso (pictured), marking the first operational deployment of this vessel.
The remaining cables were completed with the Boka Ocean cable-lay vessel contracted and managed through Van Oord. The foundation installation works were delivered by the vessel Aeolus.
RWE project director Matthew Swanwick said: “The completion of these works is another hugely significant milestone for the project, coming so soon after the completion of the foundation installation works.
“With each passing milestone we get closer and closer to completing this enormous project, which promises to be an outstanding addition to RWE’s UK portfolio. I’d like to thank Van Oord for their great contribution to this project.”
Roeland Ris, project director at Van Oord said: “Completing the installation of all 109 cables is a major achievement for the Sofia project team.
“It reflects dedication, expertise, and close collaboration between all parties involved.”
The Sofia project is located approximately 195km off the north-east coast of England.
When it becomes operational, it is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 1.2 million typical UK households.
This is a significant contribution to the UK energy mix, and a major addition to RWE’s portfolio of 19 offshore wind farms in operation.
With a maximum installed capacity of 1.4GW, Sofia is one of RWE’s largest offshore wind farms currently in construction and is located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea.
The project is being fitted with Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 turbines, which have 108-metre-long turbine blades and a 222-metre rotor diameter.