South West RDA claims that the Wave Hub is creating the world’s largest test site for wave energy technology by building a grid-connected socket on the seabed, 16km off the coast of Cornwall, to which wave power devices can be connected and their performance evaluated.
The cable, which weighs 1,300 tonnes, is being spooled directly from the JDR Cable Systems’ factory in Hartlepool onto the cable laying ship MV Nordica at a rate of 400mt per hour. The delicate operation is running 24 hours a day and will take around five days to complete.
Martin Moon, operations director of CTC Marine, said: “CTC recognizes the importance of renewable energy to the UK and believes Wave Hub is a significant milestone that opens up another avenue in the renewables market.”
During its manufacture, Wave Hub’s cable has been coiled horizontally around two 30mt diameter rotating spools or carousels in JDR’s factory, each of which can carry 2,200 tonnes. The 33,000V cable has been manufactured in one continuous length and is made up of six copper cores, 48 fibre optic cables, two layers of steel wire armouring and an outer polymer sheath. It is 16cm in diameter.
The cable is being spooled onto a 2,000 tonne capacity carousel measuring 15mt in diameter and 10mt high and positioned on the rear deck of the Nordica. The operation is due to be completed before the end of this week.
Wave Hub is being funded with GBP12.5m from the South West RDA, GBP20m from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Program and GBP9.5m from the UK government.
