A key part of the engineering challenge will see over 300 obstacles crossed by individual horizontal direction drills – three times more than what is believed to be the previous UK record for an infrastructure project.
Previously the most ever carried out in the UK to date was 100 during the widening of the M25.
As preferred contractor, Murphy will design and install the project’s critical onshore cable circuits, which will stretch from the point of landfall near Anderby Creek in Skegness, to a new-build substation at Bicker Fen, near Boston, to feed into the national grid.
In preparation for the works, Murphy will set up a new project office close to the cable route, which is eventually likely to house over 100 UK staff.
In addition, the civil engineering and specialist excavation and drilling works required will attract a large UK-based workforce for the duration of the installation.
Murphy CEO Steve Hollingshead said: “This is one of the biggest power projects that Murphy will have worked on and it’s a real marker of the upward direction in which our business is going, as we continue to develop and grow.
Triton Knoll Project Director James Cotter said: “This will be an unprecedented engineering challenge, where Triton Knoll and Murphy are pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology to deliver one of the longest ever underground cable installations linked to an offshore wind farm.
“Our arrangement with Murphy really demonstrates how we are working towards delivering our target of at least 50% UK content across the lifecycle of the project.
“We anticipate important opportunities for local businesses both in terms of traditional sub-contracted works and wider support services. We are determined that local companies will have visibility of contracts and the opportunity to bid for work on our project and we believe that local companies can be successful.
Triton Knoll wind farm scheme
Triton Knoll is being developed by German-based Innogy. The wind farm is located 32kms off the Lincolnshire coast. It has a planned installed capacity of 860MW, capable of supplying the equivalent of over 800,000 UK households per year, with renewable electricity.
Triton Knoll was awarded a Contract For Difference in September 2017, and expects to trigger a capital expenditure investment of around £2bn into much needed UK energy infrastructure. This will enable the delivery of some of the lowest cost energy generation for UK consumers.
The project is now progressing towards a financial investment decision likely in 2018 with full onshore construction starting shortly after, and offshore construction starting in 2020.First energy generation could be as early as mid-Q1 2021, with the project expecting to begin commissioning in 2021.
