JDR Wins Inter-Array Cable Work on Largest US Offshore Wind Farm

December 3, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

DEME Offshore has contracted JDR Cable Systems, part of the TFKable Group, for cable installation and commissioning work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project. The 2.6 GW CVOW, developed by Dominion Energy, is the largest offshore wind farm under construction in the United States.

Under the contract, JDR will carry out pull-in, termination, testing, and commissioning of all the 66 kV subsea inter-array cables for the offshore wind farm which will comprise 176 wind turbines and three offshore substations.

The inter-array cables for the 2.6 GW project are being supplied by Prysmian and Hellenic Cables.

JDR Cable Systems will start its part of the work in 2025 and continue into 2026.

Across three campaigns, the company will winch and pull the cables from the seabed to the turbines, and then fit electrical connectors and perform termination testing to ensure secure connections. For testing and commissioning, high voltage tests and final inspections will be conducted to confirm the integrity of the cables, ensuring they are ready for reliable power transmission, the company said on 3 December.

After winning the contract, Brian Davis, Head of Services at JDR, said: “The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project represents a major step forward in the US’s renewable energy strategy, and we are proud to be a part of it. This contract underscores our high-quality end-to-end service for offshore wind projects. JDR’s comprehensive installation and commissioning services will support the long-term success and sustainability of this groundbreaking project.”

The CVOW offshore wind farm, being built 27 miles (around 43.5 kilometres) off the coast of Virginia Beach, is well under construction with the first installation campaign completed in November.

At the beginning of November, Dominion Energy said that 78 monopile foundations and four offshore substation foundations were installed with the offshore wind project now 43 per cent complete.