Nexans has won a contract with Ørsted and Eversource to install and protect the export cable link for the Revolution Wind Farm offshore the US East Coast.
The project will connect the wind farm to the onshore grid and help Connecticut and Rhode Island states achieve ongoing commitments to develop offshore wind, the French cable maker said.
This will be Nexans’ first cable installation project in the US as part of the previously established frame agreement with Ørsted-Eversource.
The framework agreement, providing the opportunity for Nexans to supply up to 1,000 kilometres of high voltage subsea cables in the US by 2027, was signed in December 2019 between Ørsted Wind Power North America LLC and Nexans. This contract is the first project to be delivered under this agreement.
Located more than 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, the 704 MW Revolution Wind Farm will deliver electricity to up to 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Construction on the project will start in 2023 and the wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2025.
The cable lay vessel Nexans Aurora will be used for the installation and is the first vessel of its kind in the offshore cable-laying sector, Nexans said.
Its 75-ton special design cable capstan provides the capacity for installation of cables in deep waters of 2,000 metres and beyond.
It has a 10,000-ton cable payload capacity and Nexans recently extended the Aurora’s installation capabilities, allowing simultaneous laying and protection and reaching higher depths of burial with minimal environmental impacts. The vessel is also said to have excellent shallow water capabilities to get close to shore for cable landing operations.
”We are committed for the long term in the US offshore wind industry and look forward to pursuing our partnership with Ørsted and Eversource on this historic project,” Ragnhild Katteland , Nexans’ Executive Vice President Subsea & Land Systems, said.
”We have made the strategic investments to scale our US operations and deliver high voltage subsea c ables that are manufactured and installed in America. We are proud of our strong business model and this contract reinforces our ability to provide turnkey solutions in the U.S. and bolsters the supply chain with strong, local partners.”
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