Under the terms of the deal, Ecosse Subsea Systems Ltd will design, build and operate a cable-lay system for a European utilities provider. The unnamed client has chartered the Atlantic Carrier support vessel which mobilised from Sunderland for the campaign expected to last up to 10 months.

Ecosse Subsea Systems, which is headquartered in Banchory, near Aberdeen, will add 30 staff to its existing 60-strong team to compete the contract. Ecosse Subsea Systems was previously engaged to carry out seabed preparation and boulder clearance work on the same project using its SCAR plough technology, but this is the company’s first renewables cable-lay award and includes laying more than 70 inter-array 800 metre cables, which link the turbines to transformer stations.

Mike Wilson, managing director of Ecosse Subsea Systems, said the company has completed countless cable and pipe lay projects in the major oil and gas producing regions, but called this latest award a "breakthrough in to the renewables cable-lay market" which could significantly impact its business.