Inter-array cables for FLOW in the Celtic Sea – Future requirements during construction and O&M phases

Celtic Sea Power and the Global Underwater Hub are holding a one-day workshop exploring the future inter-array cabling requirements during construction and operational phases of the Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind project.

Meeting the Crown Estate’s target of 4GW of floating offshore wind (FLOW) by 2035 will involve building and installing over 200 FLOW platforms, all of which will require new inter-array cabling.  Increasing the UK’s FLOW capacity to 4GW would deliver 10% of the country’s current energy needs.

Design of these FLOW systems and associated inter-array cabling is in the early stages of development.  It is already very clear that there is significant need for expertise in manufacturing, operations and maintenance of cabling to meet the demand.  The supply of which could come from south-west England and south Wales, representing a huge socio-economic opportunity for the region.

With a clearer understanding of the scale and specification of cabling requirements for FLOW in the Celtic Sea, a roadmap could be established to help enhance and scale-up capability to meet these needs from within the region.