30 MW
floating farm capacity
13.6 km
of XLPE cables
Partnership
Equinor
Market
Offshore wind farms
Location
Scotland
Context
Equinor awarded Nexans the contract to supply static and dynamic cabling and associated accessories for the world’s first floating wind farm, following a successful demo facilitated by Nexans’ cables which have been in operation since 2009 in Norway. The project aimed to harness the best wind resources by deploying floating turbines further out to sea. The Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, located 30 km off the coast of Aberdeenshire, consists of five wind turbine generators connected through an inter-array cable network, delivering energy back to land in Peterhead, Scotland.
Everything started in 2009 when Equinor’s (former Statoil) “Hywind Pilot”, the first full-scale floating wind turbine, was put into test operation 10 km off the island of Karmøy, Norway. The Hywind Demo project completed eight years of flawless operation. Nexans supplied the 15MW cable that connects the turbine to the island of Karmøy and the transformer station located there.
Challenges
The main challenge was to prove the concept of floating wind power as a viable competitor in the energy market. Despite the successful demo in Norway in 2009, many technological challenges remained to be overcome to demonstrate the cost efficiency and reliability of floating wind farms.
30 MW
floating farm capacity
13.6 km
of XLPE cable
Approximately
20K
Scottish homes powered
Nexans implication
The group played a crucial role in overcoming the challenges by providing specialized cables for both the initial pilot project in Norway and the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park. The Nexans’ specialized facility in Halden designed, manufactured and tested the 13.6 km long 24 kV XLPE-insulated submarine cable, while the Rognan factory supplied the integrated optic fiber element. Additionally, Nexans supplied static and dynamic cabling, ensuring the offshore cable system was tested, sealed off, and delivered ready for installation on site.
Nexans facilities in Halden, Norway
Since 2017, the Hywind Scotland wind farm now generates enough energy to power roughly 20,000 homes, showcasing the potential for larger floating wind farms in other areas. The success of this project underscores Nexans’ commitment to driving innovation in the offshore wind industry.
This project is a great example of Nexans pioneering alternative offshore wind design, extending the options for renewable energy generation. The contract establishes Nexans as leaders in offshore wind innovation by designing specialist cables for both the initial pilot project and the Hywind Pilot Park.
Chief Operations Officer and Senior Executive Vice-President, Nexans
