Siemens’ Moray East Containers Ready to Sail Out

JGC has, on behalf of Siemens, completed the construction of high voltage equipment containers for the Moray East offshore substation platforms.

JGC fabricated eight of twelve containers at its site in Thurso and have also supported Siemens with other offshore projects in the UK.

From Thurso, the containers will make their way to Fabricom-Smulders in Belgium where the substation equipment will be installed inside. The containers will then be lifted onto the offshore substation platforms, where cabling and equipment will be added and finally, once commissioned, the three platforms will be sailed out to their locations in the Moray Firth off Scotland in summer 2020.

“Winning work in this sector with a major client is hugely important to JGC and the region we do business in, allowing us to re-invest in our facilities and our excellent workforce ensuring strong private business in the Highlands of Scotland,” Stephen Sutherland, Company Director at JGC Engineering & Technical Services Ltd said.

”JGC employed around 60 people on the project including up to 10 apprentices giving them an opportunity to hone their skills in a new and developing sector whilst delivering what has been described by our client as an excellent quality product.”

Multi-million-pound contracts have also been awarded to firms in Scotland for civil construction work in the project and both Moray East and Siemens have been involved in school projects to encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Sarah Graham, Transmission Infrastructure Package Manager for Moray East, said: “The completion of these containers is the first major milestone in the construction of Moray East’s Offshore Transmission Infrastructure and has set a high standard for quality and safety that we will strive to build on as we move into the next stage of fabrication for the offshore substation platforms. We are really pleased to celebrate this milestone with Siemens and JGC as we move one step closer to completing Scotland’s largest offshore windfarm.”

The containers’ total length, height, and volume are larger than an Airbus A380 aircraft. They have been designed to house and protect the specialised high voltage equipment from Siemens which form a vital part of the project’s three offshore substation platforms. The three offshore substation platforms will transform the electrical output of the wind turbines from 66 kilovolts (kV) to the transmission voltage of 220kV.

“The containers are the heart of the substation, providing the intelligence and safety equipment to run the windfarm effectively,” Mark Pilling, Managing Director, EPC, Siemens Transmission and Distribution Ltd, said.

”This is the first of many milestones we will achieve on this project to provide low cost, low carbon electricity. We are delighted to have achieved this important milestone and to celebrate the event with those who have worked so hard to get everything ready on time.”

In addition to the three offshore substation platforms, Siemens is responsible for constructing a new onshore substation at New Deer in Aberdeenshire to connect the 950MW Moray East project as well as the onshore export cables which will connect the offshore windfarm to the new substation.