Gwynt y Mor OFTO, an entity that operates and maintains offshore transmission assets between the onshore grid and the Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm in Wales, the UK, said Thursday that its export circuit SSEC3 tripped at 16:54 on October 15, 2020.
"Testing undertaken on the evening of Friday 16 October 2020 from the offshore substation has indicated that the trip was caused by a single fault on SSEC3 located approximately 11km from shore. Further investigations will be required to determine the exact nature and cause of the fault," Gwynt y Mor OFTO (Offshore Transmission Owner) said.
The SSEC3 provides 25% of the OFTO's transmission capacity. The 3 other subsea export cables are unaffected and remain fully available/operational, the OFTO, owned by the Balfour Beatty - Equitix consortium said.
"The OFTO is working with its framework repair contractors and with RWE (wind farm owner/operator) to implement a plan to repair the cable as soon as possible. The OFTO has also informed its insurers and Ofgem. Further updates will be provided as and when information becomes available," the OFTO said.
The Gwynt y Môr wind farm is located approximately 15km off the North Coast of Wales. It comprises 160 wind turbine generators and associated transmission assets. There are two offshore substation platforms.
The substations are connected onshore by four c.20km subsea export cables. The onshore cables, each 11km long, connect to the onshore substation at Bodelwyddan, near St. Asaph.