Ørsted Selects NKT Export Cable System for Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm

March 31, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

Ørsted has awarded NKT with a supply contract for the delivery of the high-voltage DC on- and offshore export cable system for the Hornsea 3 wind farm offshore the UK.

Image for illustrative purpose only; Source: NKT (archive)

For NKT, the final order has an estimated contract value of approximately EUR 500 million in market prices.

The contract will comprise the design, manufacturing, jointing, and termination of the export power cable system for Hornsea 3 which will include two circuits with a route length of approximately 170 kilometres of 320 kV DC offshore cable, 50 kilometres of 320 kV DC onshore cable, as well as four circuits for a 1.5-kilometres route of 400 kV AC onshore cable.

The DC system will connect the wind turbines with the substation while the AC cables will connect the substation to the national grid.

”In Q2 2022, we completed the power cable system for Hornsea 2 and we are proud to continue our long-term collaboration with Ørsted on Hornsea 3. It is a testament to our shared commitment of delivering more offshore wind energy to the United Kingdom thereby contributing to the green transition of the countries’ power supply,” says NKT President and CEO, Alexander Kara.

The 2,852 MW Hornsea 3 is located approximately 160 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast. When Hornsea 3 comes online, the combined capacity of Hornsea 1, 2, and 3 will be in excess of 5 GW, making it one of the world’s largest offshore wind zones and capable of covering the power consumption of approximately five million UK homes.

”Hornsea 3 will provide low-cost, clean energy at great scale. Delivering such a project requires market-leading capabilities from our contractor partners, and we are therefore delighted to build upon our successful collaboration with NKT on Hornsea 2 as we embark on our next major project together,” said Luke Bridgman, Ørsted’s Senior Project Director for Hornsea 3.

NKT will produce the power cables at the high-voltage factory in Karlskrona, Sweden, and plans to complete the project in 2027.