Siemens Energy and Iemants to Build Moray West Offshore Substations

Moray West has selected the Siemens Energy/Iemants consortium for the supply of the project’s two offshore substation platforms using Siemens Energy’s Offshore Transformer Module (OTM®) technology.

The contract is subject to the award of a Contract for Difference in 2022 and financial close for the 860 MW Moray West wind farm in the Outer Moray Firth, Scotland.

Phil Manley, Project Director for Siemens Energy UK&I, said: ”This project will be an important step forward in reaching the UK Government target of increasing offshore wind power to 40GW in the next decade. Ensuring the UK supply chain can benefit from these important projects is something we are incredibly proud of, and we’re delighted to bring further content back to the UK with our partners.”

Iemants is a subsidiary of Smulders, alongside Smulders Projects UK, based in Wallsend, Newcastle, UK.

A key part of the selection was how the Siemens Energy/Iemants consortium will bring assembly and fit out of the OTMs to the Smulders Projects UK yard, the developer said.

The yard, located in Wallsend, fabricated jacket foundations for the neighbouring Moray East project, and this will see the scope of work extended.

”Local or UK-content sits high on the agenda and together with our strategic partners, we strive to increase local content going forward in this very competitive international market,” Tom Coosemans, General Manager of Smulders Projects UK, said.

”The Moray West project allows us to kickstart further projects at the Smulders’ yard in the North East, building the path for supplementary green jobs and securing additional local content projects in the near future.”

For the Moray West project, inter-array cables will bring the power from the wind turbines to the two OTMs. An export cable, operating at 220 kV from each OTM, will then connect to the onshore substation, also provided by Siemens Energy, which will step up the voltage to 400 kilovolts, and on to the National Grid.

Upon a successful financial close for the Moray West project, Siemens Energy is assured of supplying all the offshore platforms for wind farms in the Moray Firth, including the three on the adjacent Moray East project and the two on the Beatrice project.

”Siemens Energy brings a strong track record and we have worked well together on delivery of the Moray East OTMs. Moray West will utilise the next iteration of the Siemens Energy Offshore Transformer Module concept which will ensure the project can reliably export excellent value green electricity to consumers across the UK,” Project Director for Moray West, Adam Morrison, said.

”We are particularly delighted to secure topside work in the UK again, an important win for the UK Government’s Green Recovery. We look forward to working with the joint venture to maximising further local UK content.”

The Moray West project is being developed by Ocean Winds, a partnership between EDPR and ENGIE for the purpose of offshore wind deployment. Lithuania’s Ignitis Group has a minor shareholding in the project.

The wind farm will feature up to 85 wind turbines installed over 22 kilometres from the coastline. The exact number of turbines is yet to be determined.

Moray West has a rapid deployment plan, including first power planned for 2024.