Ecofys FEED Study Identifies Optimal Electrical Infrastructure for Navitus Bay Wind Park

For a new offshore wind park in the UK, Ecofys performed a Front End Engineering & Design (FEED) study that identified the most cost-efficient electrical infrastructure design.

This takes the development of the wind farm an important step further. The proposed Navitus Bay Wind Park is a joint venture between Eneco Wind UK Ltd and EDF Energy Renewables and is currently being developed off the Dorset and Hampshire coasts, to the west of the Isle of Wight. In a typical year, Navitus Bay Wind Park could generate enough sustainable energy to power up to 790,000 homes.

To identify an electrical infrastructure that will be cost-efficient to build and operate, Ecofys’ FEED study focussed on three key subsystems:

- Inter-array cables with reference to the applied voltage level

- Export cables with reference to the applied voltage level

- Offshore High Voltage Station(s) with reference to choice of quantity and locations

Ecofys made various designs to detect the best combination. For the inter-array cables, grid designs at voltage levels of 33kV and 66 kV were prepared, whereas for the export cables voltage levels of 150 kV, 220 kV and 275 kV were considered. The assessment demonstrated the considerable impact of the choice of locations and the quantity of OHVS in relation to the infield grid and the export cable design. Evaluating the lifetime costs and non-cost criteria of the various designs resulted in an optimal electrical infrastructure design for the Navitus Bay Wind Park.