Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

JDR is chasing further offshore wind farm contracts

JDR Cable Systems in Littleport has been contracted by Fluor Ltd to supply all the inter-array cables for the £2 billion Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm in what could be the first of a series of major new deals for the rapidly growing company.

JDR managing director, Patrick Phelan, says the value of the contract remains undisclosed while the company chases further offshore wind farm contracts. Phelan did say, however, that the deal is the biggest so far in the company’s history, more than double the size of the previous record.
Set some 14 miles off the Suffolk coast, Greater Gabbard will be the first UK offshore wind farm to be built outside territorial waters, using around 140 wind turbines to generate over 500 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power more than 415,000 homes and equivalent to the approximate domestic demand of Suffolk.

Under development by Airtricity, the renewable energy development division of Scottish and Southern Energy Plc (SSE), Greater Gabbard will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm development upon completion in 2011.

In order to connect the power that is generated offshore to the electricity transmission system a new onshore sub-station is proposed at Sizewell, near Leiston in Suffolk. This will be connected to the offshore windfarm via underground and subsea cabling and will link to the existing overhead transmission lines in the area.  

The scope awarded to JDR includes over 200 km of 33kV 3-phase power cables which will provide the essential link between the 3.6MW turbine generators and the Gabbard and Galloper offshore substations.

The cables include fibre optics and terminations and will be supplied during the course of 2009 and 2010 from the UK division’s headquarters in Littleport and the new deepwater quayside facility at Hartlepool Dock.

Hartlepool will also be used to supply cables weighing up to 2,200 tonnes to be spooled directly from the factory to offshore cable laying vessels moored on the deep water quay.

“This deal underpins the recruitment of 80 new jobs for our new quayside manufacturing facility in Hartlepool for the next two years and increases staff from 170 to around 200 in Littleport,” said Phelan.

“We are also bidding for other wind farm contracts in the UK and are looking at the Centrica Lincs offshore wind farm and the Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm.”

JDR’s ability to service offshore projects is set to significantly increase once its new Hartlepool manufacturing facility is operational. The quayside facility is designed to complement that of its inland manufacturing hub in Littleport near Ely and is a key driver in expanding its offshore offering.

“The company has expanded its facilities to service the multiple offshore wind farm projects planned for the coast of Britain and the rest of Europe,” said Phelan. “JDR’s involvement in this pioneering project further demonstrates our firm commitment to the renewable energy sector.”

JDR specialises in custom designed and manufactured subsea power cables, umbilical systems and specialised marine cables for the oil and gas sector, offshore renewables industry, and seismic and defence markets.

Its 10,000 sq m Littleport facility is the heart of its UK and division and the centre for design & engineering, manufacturing, qualification testing, R & D and the worldwide supply of critical components for subsea umbilicals.