The 1.1GW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm has installed its second 85km offshore export cable off Scotland’s east coast.
Inch Cape is a joint venture (JV) equally owned by ESB and Red Rock Renewables.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Enshore Subsea installed the second 220kV three-phase export cable in three 28km sections using cable-lay vessel the CMOS Installer, deployed from the Port of Blyth.
Jointing specialists completed the offshore joints on board the Normand Cutter, and the cable was then buried in the seabed using the ENS1100 hybrid trenching vehicle.
Final rock placement is still required to fully secure the cable.
This represents a significant development for the project, which remains on course to deliver first power towards the end of 2026.
Enshore Subsea CEO Pierre Boyde said: “We are proud of the Enshore Subsea team whose attention to detail and commitment, alongside the support of our project partners, have enabled us to successfully deliver this major milestone.
“It demonstrates Enshore’s ability to fast-track complex projects, our strength in shallow-water operations and the excellent performance of ENS1100, our latest hybrid trencher, purpose-built for the project.”
The two parallel cables are designed to transmit electricity from the offshore substation platform to a new onshore substation at Cockenzie in East Lothian, Scotland, and onwards to the national grid. Both cables are expected to be energised in the coming weeks.
Each cable, with a cross-section of 2000mm², was produced by Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables (Orient Cable) and weighs nearly 140t/km. In total, 170km of cable have been installed for the project.
Inch Cape project director John Hill said: “The completion of this crucial link between the offshore and onshore substations is another major achievement for the project and testament to the excellent collaboration between the Inch Cape team and our contractors, particularly Orient Cable and Enshore Subsea.
“The successful finalisation of this scope builds on our solid progress as we now enter the next phases of offshore construction.”
The wind farm recently finished installing its monopiles and transition pieces, with ongoing offshore work including array cable-laying by the vessel Altera and pin pile installation for jacket foundations by the Alfa Lift.
Components for the 15MW turbines are being delivered to the Port of Dundee for tower assembly and subsequent offshore installation.
When fully operational, the project is expected to generate almost 5TW-hours of electricity annually, sufficient to meet the needs of half the households in Scotland.
Full commercial operation is anticipated in 2027.
