Function
The installation of the offshore substation consists of the transfer of the substation from its quayside fabrication site and the installation on the foundation.
What it costs
About £11 million for a 450 MW floating offshore wind farm.
Who supplies them
Boskalis, DEME, Heerema, Saipem, Scaldis Salvage & Marine, Seaway 7, Van Oord and ZPMC.
Offshore substation installation often forms part of the substation supply contract.
Topside structure of an offshore substation being installed onto a jacket foundation. Image courtesy of ScottishPower Renewables. All rights reserved.
Key facts
Fixed offshore substation installation is a heavy lift operation (minimum of 2,000 t) requiring vessels with sufficient crane capacity. Vessels with the necessary lift capacity often do not have the deck space to accommodate a substation platform. The substation is therefore floated out of the fabrication facility on a barge, usually directly to the wind farm site.
The substation foundation, which is installed prior to the topside structure, may be a monopile or a jacket.
The installation process for floating offshore substations will be similar to the process described for installing floating substructures for floating offshore wind turbines (see I.6 for further information).