First Subsea Cable Protection for Neart na Gaoithe

DEME Group has awarded First Subsea with a contract to provide the Cable Protection System for the inter-array cables at the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm offshore Scotland.

First Subsea, part of the First Tech Group based in Aberdeen, said that the cable protection system will be designed to protect the cables during installation and during the operating lifespan of the wind farm, reducing cable fatigue at the point of entry into the wind turbine offshore structures.

“As a UK based company, we are delighted to be awarded this contract, 100% of our bought-out parts will be supplied by UK companies,” said John Shaw, Managing Director of First Subsea.

DEME Offshore started engineering activities at the wind farm in November 2019. The company’s scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the subsea cables for the 450MW wind farm, with the execution expected in 2021.

Neart na Gaoithe will consist of 54 Siemens Gamesa 8MW wind turbines scheduled for commissioning in 2023.

The wind farm is located in the North Sea approximately 15 kilometres off the coast of Fife in south-east Scotland.

The project is being developed by EDF Renewables UK and Irish electricity company ESB which has recently acquired a 50% stake in the wind farm.