ABB to supply underwater cables for Dudgeon Offshore wind farm in UK

Swiss power and automation technology group ABB has secured a $55m order from Dudgeon Offshore Wind (DOW) to deliver underwater alternating current (AC) power cables for a new wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk in the UK.

Under the terms of the order, ABB will be responsible for designing and supplying two 132kV three-core AC submarine cables, each 42km in length, running from the wind farm’s offshore substation to Weybourne Hope, where they will connect to the onshore cables.

The underwater cables will be manufactured at ABB’s high-voltage cable factory located in Karlskrona, Sweden, and delivery will begin in 2016.

The submarine cables will be used to connect the new Dudgeon Offshore wind farm, which will generate 400MW of electricity, enough to power over 400,000 UK homes annually, with the UK national grid.

According to DOW, the turbines of the new wind farm will be placed in waters 18-25m deep on a 55sq km site located 32km off the coast of the seaside town of Cromer in north Norfolk.

The wind farm is said to produce enough green energy to displace emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 19 million tonnes over its 25-year lifetime.

Electricity produced by the new wind farm will be brought to shore using a seabed cable at Weybourne Hope. From there, the electricity will be carried to Necton using an underground cable.

From Necton, the electricity will further be transmitted into the national grid through a purpose-built power substation.

Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm asset manager Bjørn Ivar Bergemo said the order represents a key milestone in the development of the Dudgeon project.

"These cables will be some of the longest offshore cables ordered so far for a UK offshore wind project, and we look forward to working with ABB," Bergemo added.