WCA May 2016

Industry news

Connecting the largest floating wind turbine ❍ The connector being loaded onto the cable at Fukushima floating offshore wind farm demonstration

In phase 3, the First Subsea cable connector will complete the connection of the subsea cable joint to the 7MW floating wind turbine. First Subsea’s connector has a self-activating ball and taper mechanism, allowing offshore deployment without divers or the use of an ROV. The male connectors are guided into receptacles on the wind turbine and substation and, once engaged, cannot be released until the load has been removed. A simple disengage mechanism allows the connector to be disconnected and recovered for re-use. The self-activating connection offers significant savings in vessel time, and greater installation flexibility to cope with changes in weather conditions. First Subsea Ltd – UK Website : www.firstsubsea.com

FIRST Subsea has been awarded a contract to supply a cable connector for the third phase of Japan’s Fukushima floating offshore wind farm demonstration. In this latest phase of the project, the connector will be used to connect 22kV cable to the world’s largest floating wind turbine. First Subsea has provided all cable connectors for both 22kV and 66kV cables on the project. In phase 1, two First Subsea cable connectors were used to connect 22kV cable to a 2MW wind turbine and a floating substation, and a third cable connector for a 66kV cable connection to the substation. In phase 2, cable connectors were used for two 22kV cables from the substation to subsea cable joints close to the eventual positioning of the wind turbines in phases 3 and 4.

Graphics bigstockphoto.com Artist Eky Studio

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Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2016