In November 2017, NKT was selected as the preferred bidder by the project developer Moray East Offshore Windfarm (MOWEL), owned by EDP Renováveis, Engie and Diamond Generating Europe. The companies have signed the final binding agreement on the project.
The scope of Moray East project for NKT includes the manufacture of about 175km of 220 kV AC offshore export cables, installation by the NKT Victoria cable-laying vessel and burial of the cables.
The order is valued a nearly €150m in market prices, equivalent to about €140m in standard metal prices. Cable installation is expected to take place in 2020.
Export cables from the wind farm are expected to be connected to the National Grid at a new substation to be constructed at New Deer in Aberdeenshire via underground cable which received planning approval from Aberdeenshire Council in 2014.
The Moray East offshore wind farm will be situated off the north-east coast of Scotland and will generate electricity for nearly one million UK households, when it is fully commissioned by 2021.
In September 2017, Mowel had secured 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for the offshore wind farm at £57.50/MWh.
Spread over an area of 295km2 , the wind farm will be located at a minimum distance of 22km off the coast in the North Sea. It will be constructed with an investment of about £1.8bn.
The wind farm will include 100 of 9.5MW turbines to be supplied by MHI Vestas. In August, the turbine-maker was selected to supply V164-9.5 model turbines for the wind farm.
In October last year, GeoSea, a subsidiary of Deme Group, had secured the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the Moray East offshore wind farm.
When operational, the wind farm is expected to offset 13 million tonnes of CO2 and 31,000 tonnes of SO2.