Challenge

South Fork Wind Farm is New York’s first offshore wind farm. It consists of 12 turbines and a state-of-the-art transmission system that will generate enough clean energy to power 70,000 homes and offset tons of emissions each year. Located 35 miles east of Montauk Point, the underground transmission line will deliver power to the local grid in the town of East Hampton. It is a joint venture between Ørsted, a clean energy company, and Eversource, the electrical provider.

At the time of the project, there were supply disruptions due to global market factors.

Limited supply of certain types of electrical conduit resulted in rising material costs. Additionally, weather issues and the pandemic were causing long lead times, affecting project timelines. Finally, this project involved a complex buried installation requiring minimal disruption.

Solution

This project necessitated a strong and durable conduit capable of adequately protecting transmission lines to the local grid. Champion Fiberglass® manufactures fiberglass electrical conduit as an alternative to PVC that was available with shorter lead times. Additionally, the product proved more cost-effective than other types of conduit, which made bottom lines more attractive.

This was a complex installation with unique requirements. It involved open trench excavation along 4 miles of railway and roadway, with buried duct banks and use of conduit spacers. Champion Fiberglass conduit was lightweight and easy to maneuver into the trenches, which facilitated installation. Alternative conduit types such as PVC would have been heavier. Also, Champion Fiberglass created custom bends that were helpful at certain points of the installation. In short, fiberglass conduit’s light weight and ease of installation helped make this extensive buried installation fast and seamless.

Results

Champion Duct®’s high dielectric strength helped protect cables along 4 miles of trenched installation, delivering power via a single, 138kV alternating current (AC) transmission line. Better product availability, the lightweight nature of fiberglass conduit and ease of installation helped facilitate an on-time and successful completion. Finally, lower costs helped the project stay within budget.

Benefits

• Conduit was easy to maneuver, which facilitated a complex buried installation
• Product procured on time
• Lower material and installation costs
• Customized help from Champion Fiberglass for installation

Contact Champion Fiberglass: 
https://championfiberglass.com/find-a-rep