A new eight-kilometre cable between Horns Rev 2 and Horns Rev 3 allows the two offshore wind farms to supply each other with electricity if the export connection to land is disconnected. The owners of the two offshore wind farms, Ørsted and Vattenfall, invested in the 33 kV cable that creates additional security.
The cable, which was completed in April, was used for the first time recently when Energinet had to disconnect the export cable from Horns Rev 2 for four days for maintenance works. During this time, the wind farm was supplied with electricity from Horns Rev 3. The wind turbines at Horns Rev 2 normally get emergency power from a central generator on an offshore platform. At Horns Rev 3, each turbine has a small emergency generator.
This is the first time the two offshore wind farms, which have different owners, have backed each other up in this way. Horns Rev 2 has been in operation since 2009, while Horns Rev 3 first began supplying power to the electricity grid in December and will be operating at full capacity by the end of the summer.