The Netherlands-based WIND has provided long-term storage to a spare export cable for the Rampion offshore wind farm.
The cable laying vessel Atalanti arrived at WIND’s storage yard in Velsen-Noord, the Netherlands, on 7 January carrying the cable, which was then loaded-out.
The export cable is almost one kilometer long and is not coilable, therefore the company stored it in a basket driven by a self-propelled transporter (SPMT). According to WIND, this is a very cost-efficient method for long-term storage compared to a regular carousel option.
The Rampion team recently carried out an export cable replacement campaign as issues were identified at the initially installed cables that would have affected the wind farm’s performance and longevity.
Located 13km off the Sussex coast in the UK, the 400MW offshore wind farm comprises 116 MHI Vestas 3.45MW turbines. The project is currently in the commissioning phase, with all of the turbines capable of generating electricity.