France-based cable manufacturer Nexans has secured a contract from SSE Renewables to supply 800km of underground cables for the Viking Wind Farm in Scotland.

The 33kV cables will create the inter-array connection for 103 wind turbines at the site, as well as exporting the power generated by the wind facility.

Renewable energy will be transferred from the facility to the main substation for feeding into the interconnector, which will transfer it to the UK grid.

The first cable deliveries are set to take place in September.

SSE Renewables Onshore Projects head Derek Hastings said: “The performance and reliability of its underground power cables are critical to the success of the Viking Wind Farm. There were two main reasons for awarding the contract to Nexans.

“The first was that the cables met our stringent technical requirements. The second, and very important for us, was Nexans’ ability to provide a fixed price over the 18-month contract period. This overcame the current volatility in metal and plastics pricing.”

The Viking Wind Farm is expected to come online in 2024.

Once operational, the wind facility, with a peak output of 443MW, is expected to power half a million homes with renewable energy while supporting Scotland in achieving its net-zero targets.

The contract includes the supply of 650km of underground cables, with a single core design and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation.

The company will also supply 150km of bare copper earth cable.

The conductors for the inter-array cables will be made from aluminium. Copper will be used to carry the higher current for the export cables.

Nexans UK Utility Sales director Max Williams said: “This contract builds on our long-established working relationship with SSE.

“It also confirms Nexans’s capability to support major UK clients with large-volume, land-based power cable projects at distribution voltages.”

Set to be manufactured at Nexans Hellas plant in Lamia, Greece, the cables will be delivered through Nexans UK.

Last June, SSE Renewables awarded a contract to Nexans to design, manufacture and install high-voltage (HV) cables for the Seagreen offshore windfarm.

Under the contract, Nexans will install onshore and offshore export cables for the project’s first phase of development. Construction of the project is due to start next year.