In July, Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) completed the installation of its first jacket in the outer Moray Firth.  The jackets (of which there will be 103) are the steel structures on which the 100 wind turbine generators and three offshore substations will be installed.

Shortly after, has successfully installed its three offshore substation platforms (OSP). In the meantime jacket installation is also progressing with 20 jackets installed. The installation marks a major milestone in the progress of the construction of the 950 MW offshore wind farm.

The offshore campaign continues with more and more activities to allow energisation next year.

These modular OSP’s topside (which contains all of the electrical infrastructure to transmit the electricity generated by the offshore wind turbines) were installed on top of each three legged jacket structure, they were previously fastened on the sea-bed.

The 1200 tonne topside contains all the essential electrical equipment including transformers and switchgear to transmit the electricity generated by roughly one third of the 100 offshore wind turbines, and increase its voltage from 66kV to 220kV so that it can be delivered through the export cable to shore with maximum efficiency and minimum losses.

The lifting operation required the precision mating of the 30mx28m topside with stabbing pins on the jacket within a tolerance of only 30mm.

The electricity will come ashore at Inverboyndie, and will then be routed via underground cables to the Moray East substation at New Deer from where the electricity is fed into the National Grid.