Helix Robotics Solutions Awarded Contract for Cable Burial at Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm

Seaway7, part of the Subsea7 Group, has awarded Houston-headquartered Helix Robotics Solutions a contract for the burial of inter-array cables at the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm site in the UK.

The contract, set to last over 300 days, is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

Helix Robotics Solutions will be tasked with burying all 192 inter-array cables, totaling around 500 kilometers in length. The project will be overseen with engineering and survey support from Helix’s offices in Aberdeen, UK.

For this project, Helix intends to deploy the Grand Canyon III trenching support vessel equipped with the T1500 jet trencher, the i-Trencher trenching system, a work-class remotely operated vehicle, and associated survey services.

“This contract with Seaway7, one of the largest trenching awards to Helix, underscores our dedication to supporting offshore wind development and expanding our offshore renewables activities,” stated Scotty Sparks, Helix’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

In October 2024, Seaway7 secured a contract for the transport and installation of the inter-array cables at Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, situated 160 kilometers off the Yorkshire coast.

Hellenic Cables and Prysmian Group have been contracted by the developer for the supply of inter-array cables, while NKT will handle the delivery of the export cables.

Last year, Ørsted awarded JDR a contract for array cable testing and termination. JDR will prepare and connect the cables between the turbines and offshore converter stations, ensuring full integration into the offshore electrical infrastructure with their testing system.

With 231 wind turbines and a generation capacity of 2.9 GW, the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm is slated for completion by the end of 2027.