Offshore Wind Cable Installation

How HDD is Used in Offshore Wind

Offshore wind farm cables are typically installed from land to water, which is also known as a shore approach. Instead of digging open trenches on land for offshore wind cables to be installed, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is a trenchless and more environmentally friendly method, while also minimizing impacts to key infrastructure. The trenchless method of HDD uses a drill rig to create a conduit for the cable to be pulled through. ECI Drilling International is an expert in horizontal directional drilling, with experience in several shore approach landings, including drilling for the Block Island wind farm, the first offshore wind farm in the United States.

Block Island Offshore Wind Farm

Block Island was the first, and is currently the only, offshore wind farm in the United States consisting of five turbines. ECI Drilling International and sister company, Caldwell Marine International, both worked on the installation portion of the project. ECI Drilling performed the HDD work from the beach to the seabed. ECI Drilling crews drilled a 2,250ft tunnel for the conduit that now carries power from the offshore wind farm to a National Grid switch in Narragansett, RI. The offshore wind cable was installed under land by the ECI Drilling team and undersea by the Caldwell Marine International team. The wind farm Completed in 2016, the 30MW wind farm now transfers power to Block Island and the mainland power grid. 

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