JDR to make GBP-130m UK govt-backed investment in offshore wind cabling facilities

UK subsea cable manufacturer JDR Cable Systems Ltd will invest GBP 130 million (USD 178m/EUR 152m) in production facilities in the North East of England that will serve next generation offshore wind turbines, the UK government announced on Tuesday.

The funding includes private investment from the company and public sector investment from the government’s GBP-160-million Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Support scheme.

JDR will build a new factory in Cambois, near Blyth, creating 170 jobs. The investment will also see 270 jobs safeguarded at the company’s existing plant in Hartlepool. The new factory will supply JDR’s Hartlepool facility with cable cores and high voltage underwater cabling. According to the government this will allow the UK to increase its competitiveness against foreign manufacturers and in export markets.

“As the energy transition gathers pace and the UK’s offshore wind sector continues to thrive, turbines are growing taller and farther from shore, calling for higher voltage subsea cables,” commented Tomasz Nowak, chief executive of JDR, which in 2017 was acquired by Poland’s TFKable.

The government further said it is launching a consultation today on minimising the impact of connecting offshore wind farms to the shore. It added that according to an analysis by National Grid Electricity System Operator a more coordinated approach for connections from 2030 could lead to cost savings, as well as significantly reduce the impact on the environmental and local communities.

(GBP 1 = USD 1.369/EUR 1.171)

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