JDR to Provide Inter Array Cables for London Array Offshore Wind Farm

The first phase of the development, consisting of 175 wind turbines and 2 offshore substations will be installed in water depths of up to 23 meters some 20km (12 miles) from the Kent and Essex coasts in the outer Thames Estuary. The wind farm will be connected by subsea export cables to an onshore substation at Cleve Hill, on the North Kent coast. From the substation, the electricity will be fed into the existing 400kV transmission network.

The scope awarded to JDR includes the engineering, design and manufacture of over 200km of 33kV array cables complete with proprietary hang-off and termination systems providing the essential link between individual wind turbine generators, wind turbine generator arrays and the offshore substations. The cables will be produced in 2010 and 2011.

“The London Array project team were very clear in their determination to procure array cables that would provide the highest long-term reliability available in the market. JDR’s dedication to the highest levels of quality management and continuous improvement, developed over many years of providing subsea power cables and umbilical systems for deepwater oil & gas projects, is fully aligned with the needs of offshore wind farm operators. We shall also be providing JDR’s proprietary array cable termination systems, which have been specifically designed to minimise offshore installation costs. We are very pleased that JDR was selected as the array cable supplier and we look forward to embarking on this world class project,” stated Patrick Phelan, managing director of JDR Cable Systems Ltd.

When complete the first phase of London Array will be among the world’s largest offshore wind energy farms, delivering up to 630 MW. This is enough power for approximately 470,000 homes and will make a substantial contribution to the UK Government’s target of providing 15% of all electricity supply from renewable sources by 2015.

“JDR has made significant investments over the last three years to address the growing and vital renewable energy initiatives taking hold in the UK and other parts of the world. Our plant in Hartlepool was carefully chosen to be located in the heart of the UK offshore community to best serve their ambitious projects yet optimally service all of Northern Europe and other geographies around the world”, commented Pat Herbert, group CEO, JDR Cable Systems (Holdings) Ltd.

Richard Rigg, the London Array Project Director stated that “London Array Limited and its Shareholders are very pleased that JDR Cable Systems have been successful in acquiring this scope of work and that the project is supporting the new UK facilities developed by JDR at Hartlepool to serve the offshore wind industry.”

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