Seaway Offshore Cables, the European submarine cable installation company, has been hired by Orsted to supply and install the inter-array cables at the 12MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, on track to become one of the first completed US offshore wind projects.
Seaway, owned by UK-based offshore energy contractor Subsea 7, will immediately begin engineering work for the Virginia project, located 43km off the US east coast, and plans to install the offshore cables in 2020 – the same year the project is due for completion.
While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Seaway calls it a “multi-million-dollar contract”.
The Coastal Virginia project is owned by utility Dominion Energy, which has brought on Orsted to handle much of the construction and operations work. If the demonstration project is successful, Dominion may move to take advantage of the huge offshore development zone it controls nearby.
Seaway and owner Subsea 7 describe the deal as a significant win in their push to expand both in the US market and in offshore renewables more broadly. Subsea 7, a big oil and gas player, will operate out of its base in the Gulf of Mexico.
Seaway says it will use a mix of locally available vessels and resources and those within the Subsea 7 group. In August Orsted tapped Siemens Gamesa to supply the Virginia project with two of its 6MW turbines – the OEM's first offshore order in the US.
