The installation of the second of the four export cables on London Array Offshore Wind Farm that will connect the onshore substation at Cleve Hill to the two offshore substations in the outer Thames Estuary has been successfully completed.
Specialized cable-laying vessel, Stemat Spirit, installed all the 4,400 tonne cables in the Swale.
London Array Limited, the consortium of three world-leading renewable energy companies, is due to start laying the third export cable in June 2012.
The Swale is a busy area for sailing and shipping activities, so as with the other cables, the consortium will be engaging with sea users and the local community to make sure they cause as little disruption as possible.
The London Array is an offshore wind farm under construction in the outer Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom. With 1,000 megawatt (MW) nameplate capacity, it is expected to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The site will cover 90 square miles (230 km2) between Margate in Kent and Clacton in Essex. The first foundation was installed in March 2011 and phase I is expected to be completed end 2012 and will deliver a capacity of 630MW.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, May 21, 2012; Image: london array