Moray EastMoray East Installs First Offshore Electrical Infrastructure - the first (of three) Offshore Substation Platforms
10/08/20, 3:06 PM
Fraserburgh, 10 August 2020 Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Ltd (known as Moray East) today announced the successful installation of its first offshore electrical infrastructure – the first Offshore Substation Platform (OSP).
The modular OSP topside (which contains all of the electrical infrastructure to transmit the electricity generated by the offshore wind turbines) was installed on top of the three legged jacket structure, which was previously fastened on the sea-bed. The top-side was installed using the Seajack’s Jack Up Vessel ‘Scylla’ having previously loaded it onboard from Global Energy’s facility at Nigg.
The 1200 tonne topside contains all the essential electrical equipment including transformers and switchgear to transmit the electricity generated by roughly one third of the 100 offshore wind turbines, and increase its voltage from 66kV to 220kV so that it can be delivered through the export cable to shore with maximum efficiency and minimum losses.
The lifting operation required the precision mating of the 30mx28m topside with stabbing pins on the jacket within a tolerance of only 30mm.
In total, three OSPs will be installed within the next couple of weeks. The offshore campaign continues with more and more activities to allow energisation next year
The electricity will come ashore at Inverboyndie, and will then be routed via underground cables to the Moray East substation at New Deer from where the electricity is fed into the National Grid .
Commenting, Project Director Marcel Sunier said: “The safe installation of our first offshore electrical infrastructure is a very significant milestone. A 1200 tonne precision-lift is a major undertaking in any situation – and even more so in the challenging waters of the Moray Firth, and I congratulate all those involved and I am looking forward to see the other two substation platforms being installed shortly.”
Contact – Moray East Press Office – 07584 608842
Manufacture and Installation Works
The offshore substation platform topside was designed and manufactured by Siemens. DEME procured and installed the jacket and installed the topside on the jacket. All of the works were undertaken from Global Energy’s facility at Nigg.
Moray East Project Statistics
- Capacity: 950MW
- Location: UK, Moray Firth, closest point to shore, 22km from shore.
- Turbines: 100 V164 – 9.5MW
- Power for average requirements of ca. 950, 000 UK homes
- Moray East will generate sufficient electricity to save 1.4 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent annually (assuming displacement of gas generation)
- Power will be generated at £57.50/MWhr, the lowest cost of any new renewable generation and 2/3 less than offshore windfarms in operation around the UK today (typically upward of £140/MWhr)
Moray East Project Ownership & Finance:
The 950MW wind farm is being developed by Moray Offshore Windfarm East Ltd (MOWEL), which is a joint venture company owned by Diamond Green Limited (33.4%), Ocean Winds (56.6%) and CTG (10%).
The project financing agreements were signed on 28th November 2018 with a syndicate of commercial banks as well as EKF, Denmark’s Export Credit Agency (“EKF”) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (“JBIC”). The financing is composed of both project finance, which includes a senior debt facility of £2.1 billion, along with other debt facilities of £0.5 billion, and an equity bridge loan facility to cover part of the equity needs. Financial close occurred on 6th of December 2018.
In September 2017, MOWEL was awarded a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (“BEIS”) for the delivery of 950MW of offshore wind generation at £57.5/MWh (2012 tariff-based). The wind farm is expected to be operational by 2022.
Moray East Project Timeline:
2010 – project development commenced when development rights were won in the UK’s 3rd round of offshore wind licencing. The Moray Firth Zone (Zone 1) was split into two, Moray East and Moray West. For technical reasons, Moray East was developed first
2014 – planning consent was awarded by the Scottish Government (offshore works) and Aberdeenshire Council (onshore works)
2017 – A 950MW Contract for Difference (CfD) was won in the UK Government’s 2nd competitive CfD auction. The CfD provides a contract for electricity for 15 years at £57.50/MWhr
2018 – Project announced signing of finance agreements and achieves financial close
2020 – 2022 – Commissioning expected in 2020 / early 2021 and fully operational by 2022
Moray East Key Facts
- Consent for construction of up to 1,116MW granted in 2016
- CfD for 950MW awarded in 2017
- Connection to National Grid at a new substation to be constructed at New Deer in Aberdeenshire via underground cable (planning permission granted by Aberdeenshire Council in 2014)
- Total underground export cable corridor route 86km (52km offshore and 34km onshore)
- Total wind farm Area – 295km2
- Maximum turbine blade-tip height – 204m (669 feet)
- Minimum distance from shore – 22km (13.5 miles).
-
40%
Of Scotland's electricity will be provided
-
1.7
Million tonnes of CO2 emissions saved every year
-
1.43
Million homes throughout the UK could be powered
500
Kilometers of cabling will be installed across the site
