DONG Energy has placed contracts with three UK firms for the array cables at its 580 MW Race Bank offshore wind farm, off coast of Norfolk, England.
The array cables for Race Bank will be supplied by JDR from its base in Hartlepool. The installation of the cables will be undertaken by DeepOcean, which is located in Darlington. The cable protection system will be supplied by Newton Aycliffe based company Tekmar.
Race Bank, to be built almost 17mi off Norfolk, will consist of 91, 6MW wind turbines, with Siemens Wind Power chosen as the preferred supplier for the delivery of these turbines.
The production of the array cables is now underway and installation is expected to start later this year. The whole array cable system should be completed by mid-2017.
Brent Cheshire, DONG Energy's UK chairman, said: "We are very committed to investing in UK suppliers wherever possible, and it's great to see three different UK-based firms contributing to a vital part of our Race Bank offshore wind farm.
"When operational, Race Bank will power over half a million homes every year so it's a significant project. To have the whole array cable system installed and supplied by UK companies is a first for us, and is hugely encouraging for the UK supply chain."