E.ON, Masdar and DONG Energy, the consortium developing the London Array offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary, have selected supply-chain partners for the project's first stage of development (630 MW).
Siemens Energy, which had previously been selected to supply the turbines, has also received an order to connect the London Array to the U.K. power supply network. Siemens will supply the electrical equipment for two offshore substation platforms, each of which consists of two 180 MVA transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, and related protection, instrumentation and control equipment. The company will also install four 50 MVAr reactive-power compensators – its new SVC Plus system.
JDR Cable Systems has been awarded the contract for the supply of subsea power array cables, including the engineering, design and manufacture of over 200 km of 33 kV cables. These cables will be produced in 2010 and 2011.
Also, Nexans has signed a contract to design, manufacture and supply the high-voltage subsea power export cables for the London Array. The company will supply four 150 kV XLPE submarine power cables to be laid in parallel, each 53 km to 54 km in length. The cables – two to be delivered in 2011 and two in 2012 – will also incorporate fiber-optic elements.
Once all phases are complete, the London Array will produce 1 GW of wind power. Onshore work has already begun, and offshore work will start in early 2011.
SOURCES: Siemens Energy, JDR, Nexans
