Although the Rampion offshore wind farm is at a stage of looking at full commissioning, the project site recently saw boulder clearance and UXO identification works starting along one of its export cable routes, since the Rampion team has been replacing the initially installed export cables after identifying issues that would have affected the wind farm’s performance and longevity.
The new Rampion export cable sections are being installed along the route running between the offshore substation and landfall at Brooklands. The original export cables are not being removed (and replaced) in their entirety, a spokesperson for the project told Offshore WIND.
A new section of the eastern export cable (CR3) has already been installed, while the installation of a new western cable section (CR4) will take place during the summer months.
The CR4 route is the one where the preparation works for cable replacement are now ongoing , carried out by vessels Edda Fonn and Voe Vanguard. The vessels are expected to be working on clearing the route until early June.
The installation of the new part of the eastern export cable was completed at the end of April with burial works done by the trenching vessel Grand Canyon.
According to the spokesperson for the project, the 400MW offshore wind farm remains on schedule to be completed and fully operational later this year.
Offshore WIND Staff