VBMS to Wire East Anglia ONE Array with JDR 66kV Cables

VBMS has awarded JDR the supply of 66kV inter-array cables for the East Anglia ONE (EA1) offshore wind farm, developed by ScottishPower Renewables. 

In January, VBMS won a contract of around EUR 100 million for the supply, installation and burial, as well as termination and testing of 102 66kV inter-array cables.

JDR will design and manufacture 155km of array cables including end terminations. The 66kV high voltage technology will enable increased power transmission back to shore from large, high powered offshore turbines over 33kV cables, the company said.

JDR will also provide a cable management system at each offshore wind turbine generator which allows for a 66kV topside connection to the switchgear cables.

The cables will be manufactured at JDR’s facility in Hartlepool, UK, with delivery scheduled for Q1 2019.

The 714MW East Anglia ONE, located 43km off the Suffolk Coast in the southern North Sea, will consist of 102 wind turbines.

JDR’s CTO, James Young, said: “It’s fantastic to see that 66kV cable technology will be deployed on a large-scale project to further reduce the cost of offshore wind.”

In December 2016, JDR was also awarded a non-commercial 66kV contract for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) project.