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First Subsea, a subsea connector specialist, is launching a new monopile interface connector for offshore wind monopiles, and top tension connector for floating wind turbines, on stand A-D8 at EWEA Offshore 2015.

The most labour intensive and time-consuming element of cable installation into an offshore wind monopile is its connection and termination. First Subsea has streamlined the process with its combination of monopile interface connector (MIC) and hang off cable connector (HOC). The MIC secures the cable’s monopile connection while the HOC holds the pre-terminated cable in position on the hang-off deck ready for connection, the company said.

Offshore Wind Mooring & Tensioning Connector

First Subsea has also developed of an innovative top tension connector for the deployment of wind farms further offshore at water depths in excess of 80m, where monopiles are considered impractical.

The top tension connector will allow the installation contractor to moor and tension a floating turbine’s mooring lines without the need for specialist tensioning equipment, and surface vessels requiring significant capex, that currently restricts the commercialisation of floating offshore wind farms. It uses a simple push and grip technology to connect mooring lines to a range of floating wind turbine platforms including tension leg platform, spar and semi-submersible.

“These are exciting times in offshore wind as deployment costs come under ever closer scrutiny. First Subsea connector technology gives installation companies the ability to significantly reduce cable installation and mooring costs while improving the quality of these subsea connections,” says John Shaw, managing director, First Subsea.