Van Oord to install foundations and array cables for Sofia offshore windfarm

The 1.4-GW Sofia project is on the Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 km from the northeast coast of England.

Van Oord will deploy its offshore installation vessel Aeolus to install a total of 100 extended monopile foundations without transition pieces.

A total of 350km of array cables will be installed by cable-laying vessel Nexus.

Van Oord will sub-contract the fabrication of the foundations and array cables.

Van Oord has already worked closely with RWE on a number of offshore wind projects, including construction of the Rampion, Humber Gateway, Robin Rigg and London Array windfarms.

The company said Sofia presents an opportunity to further develop UK supply chain relationships, evolve construction techniques, and optimise the design of the foundations, which will be supporting some of the largest turbines currently on the market.

In June 2020, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy was confirmed as the supplier of the turbines for the project. The company was selected to supply its latest 14-MW offshore wind turbine.

Sofia is set to be the first European project to install the turbine, which will be market-ready by 2024.

Construction of the windfarm is due to begin onshore at its Teesside converter station site in early 2021, with offshore construction expected to get underway in 2023.