Prysmian Cracks Floating Wind Market with Kincardine Cable Contract

Prysmian Group has secured a contract with Cobra Wind International Ltd to provide the cable system to connect the Kincardine floating offshore wind farm to mainland UK.

This is Prysmian’s first cable project for a floating offshore wind farm which foresees the design and supply of two export cables as well as inter-array cables.

The cable will also be provided with all associated cable accessories in order to connect the turbines of the Kincardine wind farm, situated approximately 15 kilometres southeast of Aberdeen, to the Scottish mainland power grid. Installation is planned during 2018 and 2019.

Prysmian will be responsible for the supply of each export cable which is made up as a single cable length to run along an approximate 17km route consisting of a static cable design combined with around 0.5km dynamic cable route section to complete the connection to the floating turbine tower.

The 33kV three-core submarine cable will utilise an EPR insulation system throughout, with the static section length finished with single wire armouring whereas the dynamic section will apply a double wire armoured design.

The submarine cables will be produced at Prysmian’s plants in Vilanova, Spain, and Drammen, Norway.

“The cable contract for the Kincardine Floating Offshore Wind Farm is an important technological milestone for Prysmian as our first project for a floating offshore wind farm,” said Alessandro Panico, Sales Team Manager – Offshore Wind, Prysmian Group.

“We recognise the continued growth in this developing segment of the market which is of particular strategic interest for our business.”

The Kincardine wind farm has a permitted generating capacity of up to 50MW and will be comprised of eight three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine generators.

The floating wind farm is being developed by Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited, a joint venture between Pilot Offshore Renewables and Atkins.

The project does not feature an offshore substation, as the wind turbines would be connected directly to the grid at Redmoss onshore substation via two transmission lines.