Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd, in a release, said that it has been awarded a contract by UK Offshore Transmission Owner, Gwynt y Môr OFTO Plc. (GYM), to supply 132kV offshore export cable to transmit power from a 576-mw offshore wind farm in UK.
The Gwynt y Môr wind farm is located approximately 15km off the North Coast of Wales. The wind farm comprises 160 wind turbine generators and associated transmission assets. There are two offshore substation platforms. The substations are connected onshore by four c.20km subsea export cables. The onshore cables, each 11km long, connect to the onshore substation at Bodelwyddan, near St. Asaph.
The export cable is considered to be a critical infrastructure to deliver renewable energy to UK consumers. Sumitomo Electric’s state-of-the-art submarine cable technology, backed by significant track records since the early 1900s, was selected by GYM to increase the reliability of its power transmission asset and maximize the availability of the wind farm.
“Sumitomo Electric aims to continue its contribution to support UK and EU governments’ offshore wind expansion plans towards net-zero 2050,” said Mr. Yasuyuki Shibata, Managing Executive Officer of Sumitomo Electric.
Significant role
Sumitomo Electric has been playing a significant role in the development of renewable energy and the trade of such energy between European countries and regions. In addition to the successful commissioning of the 1,000-mw NEMO interconnector between the UK and Belgium in 2019, Sumitomo Electric is currently constructing two other similar projects in Germany. The contract with Gwynt y Môr will further strengthen its role in the renewable energy market
Featured photograph shows the Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm that is equipped with 160 Siemens-Gamesa turbines of 3.6-mw rating. The wind farm has been in operation since 2015. It is learnt through media reports that the export cable order on Sumitomo Electric was placed after the original cable (supplier unknown) developed technical snags
