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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Offshore wind power reaches homes through a chain of shared infrastructure, not a dedicated cable from a wind farm to each household. Turbines send electricity through inter-array cables to an offshore substation, export cables carry it to shore, and an onshore substation connects it to the existing transmission grid. From there, transmission and local distribution networks deliver electricity to consumers alongside power from every other connected generator.
The exact cable voltage, burial depth, landfall method, number of substations and grid connection point depend on the project, seabed, distance from shore and local network.
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The complete route from turbine to household
Every offshore wind project has its own engineering plan, but the electrical route follows the same basic sequence. The equipment names matter because each cable and substation performs a different job.
- Turbines generate electricity. Wind turns each rotor and the turbine generator produces electrical output.
- Array cables collect the output. Inter-array cables connect turbines with one another and carry the collected electricity toward an offshore substation.
- The offshore substation prepares the power for export. Transformers commonly raise the voltage so the export route can carry power with lower transmission losses.
- Export cables cross the seabed. These cables take electricity from the offshore substation toward the coast.
- Landfall transfers the route from sea to land. At the coastal landing point, the offshore cable transitions to an onshore cable route, often continuing underground to an onshore substation.
- The onshore substation connects to the grid. It adjusts voltage as required by the receiving network and links the wind project to existing onshore transmission infrastructure.
- The wider grid supplies consumers. Transmission lines and local distribution systems carry electricity onward to homes, businesses and other users.
The wind farm therefore supplies a shared electrical network. A household uses electricity delivered through that network; the project does not reserve a particular physical wire for that home.
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What each cable and substation does
| Stage | Main equipment | Primary function | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation | Wind turbine and generator | Converts wind movement into electricity | Offshore turbine |
| Collection | Array (inter-array) cable | Links turbines and carries their combined output | Between turbines and the offshore substation |
| Voltage preparation | Offshore substation and transformers | Collects output and commonly raises voltage for export | Offshore platform or facility |
| Export | Export cable | Moves electricity shoreward across the seabed | From offshore substation to landfall |
| Grid connection | Onshore substation | Adjusts voltage and connects the project to transmission infrastructure | Onshore, near the cable route and connection network |
| Delivery | Transmission and distribution networks | Carry electricity through the grid to consumers | Regional and local network |
How turbines feed the offshore collection system
Turbines produce the initial electrical output
Wind pushes the rotor blades, the rotor drives the turbine generator, and the generator produces electricity. A wind farm contains many turbines, so the project needs an organized collection network rather than a separate shore cable for every machine.
Array cables combine turbine output
An array cable is the offshore cable that connects turbines with each other and/or with the offshore substation. The U.S. Department of Energy’s transmission diagrams show turbines linked by inter-array cables to an offshore substation. As electricity moves through the collection network, the output from multiple turbines is brought together at that substation.
Array cables are part of the wind farm’s internal electrical system. They are different from export cables: array cables collect power within the wind farm, while export cables carry the combined output toward shore.
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Collection and voltage transformation
The offshore substation receives the output gathered by the array cables. It commonly contains transformers that step the voltage up before the electricity enters the export system. For a given amount of power, a higher transmission voltage allows the route to operate with lower losses than it would at a lower voltage. The substation is therefore both a collection point and the transition between the wind farm’s internal network and its shore connection.
Platform or other offshore facility
An offshore substation may be built as a platform or another offshore facility. Its size, equipment arrangement and whether a project uses one or more substations depend on the project design and the electrical network it must reach.
HVAC and HVDC are design questions, not universal rules
Projects can involve different transmission arrangements, including alternating-current or direct-current equipment, but the available evidence does not support a single distance threshold or a claim that one arrangement is always superior. Engineers assess the distance to shore, project capacity, conversion-equipment requirements, the number of projects that may share a connection and constraints on the onshore grid. Those factors must be evaluated for the specific project rather than reduced to a universal rule of thumb.
How export cables cross the seabed
The export route
After voltage is prepared offshore, an export cable carries the electricity toward land. It runs across the seabed along a planned corridor and eventually reaches the coast. The cable may continue underground from the beach area to an onshore substation, keeping the shore approach and much of the land route out of sight once construction is complete.
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Burial and protection
Cable protection is selected for local seabed conditions, navigation needs and construction constraints. Victoria’s government overview, updated 26 November 2025, gives regional examples of burial depths: array cables are buried 0.5 to 2 metres beneath the seabed, while export cables are buried 1 to 2 metres beneath it. These figures describe that jurisdiction’s overview, not an international standard.
Burial is not possible everywhere. Where seabed conditions prevent the planned depth, projects may use protective materials such as rock or concrete. The protection method and final depth are determined by the site investigation and approved construction plan.
Landfall: where the offshore cable reaches shore
What landfall means
Landfall is the point at which the cable carrying power from an offshore wind farm reaches the shore. It marks the change from the offshore export section to the onshore cable route; it is not necessarily the location of the final grid connection.
Open trench or horizontal directional drilling
A project may bring the cable ashore through an open trench or use horizontal directional drilling to place it beneath the beach area. The choice depends on coastal geology, environmental conditions, existing infrastructure and the construction plan. Horizontal directional drilling can keep the cable below the beach surface during the shore crossing, while an open trench involves excavating the route and restoring the surface afterward.
From the shore crossing to the substation
Once the cable is on land, the route may remain buried as it travels to the onshore substation. Landfall and the onshore connection are therefore separate points that should not be treated as synonyms in a project map.
How the onshore substation connects the project to the grid
Voltage adjustment at the receiving end
The onshore substation receives the export route and adjusts voltage as required for the network receiving the wind farm’s electricity. It then connects the project to onshore transmission infrastructure. The appropriate connection voltage is a project-specific engineering decision: a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management filing for one project describes different onshore substations connecting at different voltages, illustrating why a figure from one project should not be applied universally.
Connection to transmission, then distribution
Once connected, the wind farm becomes one source on the wider grid. High-voltage transmission carries electricity across regions, and distribution networks reduce voltage in stages and deliver it through local circuits. Other generators and network connections operate on the same system, so the physical route from a particular offshore turbine cannot be traced as a dedicated line to a particular address.
Electricity production also varies with wind conditions. The grid operator manages the overall balance between generation, network capacity and demand; the offshore project’s connection is an input to that system rather than a private supply line for nearby homes.
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Which project details vary, and why
Voltage and connection point
Voltage levels, transformer arrangements and the point where a project joins the transmission network depend on the project capacity and the existing network. A connection may require a new onshore substation, an expansion of an existing facility or more than one connection point.
Number and arrangement of substations
Distance from shore and the amount of electricity being collected influence whether a project uses one offshore substation or several. The number of export circuits and the onshore facilities likewise depend on the design and the available grid capacity.
Seabed, coastal and land constraints
Seabed geology can determine whether a cable is buried or protected with rock or concrete. Coastal conditions influence whether a project uses an open trench or horizontal directional drilling at landfall. On land, the cable corridor must accommodate roads, utilities, property boundaries and the route to the grid connection.
Onshore footprint
Victoria’s 2025 overview gives a typical onshore substation footprint of six to nine acres. That is a regional planning example, not a universal size: the actual footprint depends on voltage equipment, the number of circuits, access requirements and the site layout.
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|---|---|---|
| 0.5–2 metres | Burial depth for array cables | Victorian government overview, 2025; regional example |
| 1–2 metres | Burial depth for export cables | Victorian government overview, 2025; regional example |
| Six to nine acres | Typical onshore substation footprint | Victorian government overview, 2025; regional example |
How to read an offshore wind connection plan
When reviewing a planning application, environmental statement or project map, follow the route in this order:
- Locate the turbines. Confirm the wind farm area and the turbine groups.
- Trace the array cables. These should lead from turbine strings or groups to an offshore substation.
- Identify the offshore substation. This is where collection ends and export begins.
- Follow the export corridor. Check its seabed route, protection method and approach to shore.
- Find the landfall. Look for the coastal transition point and whether the plan specifies trenching or horizontal directional drilling.
- Follow the onshore cable route. It may continue underground to the onshore substation.
- Check the grid connection. Identify the receiving transmission line or substation and the stated connection voltage.
- Separate project infrastructure from local delivery. The wind farm connection ends at the transmission network; local distribution carries electricity the rest of the way to consumers.
Common misunderstandings
There is no cable dedicated to each home
The project connects to the grid, not directly to individual houses. A home receives electricity through the same interconnected transmission and distribution system used by other generators and consumers.
Landfall is not the grid connection
Landfall is simply where the offshore cable reaches shore. The cable can continue inland to an onshore substation, where voltage is adjusted and the formal connection to transmission infrastructure is made.
Burial depths are not global standards
The Victorian figures are useful examples, but seabed conditions and permitting requirements differ. A project may bury cables at another depth or use rock or concrete protection where burial is impractical.
There is no universal transmission-loss percentage
Higher voltage is used to help reduce losses on the export route, but the available project information does not establish one general loss figure or a universal percentage of offshore wind electricity that reaches homes. Losses and delivered energy depend on the complete project and grid conditions.
What happens after connection
After the onshore substation energizes the grid connection, the wind farm operates as part of the wider power system. Transmission planners and grid operators must account for the project’s output, the capacity of the receiving network and the operation of other generators. Local distribution infrastructure then supplies individual customers. The important boundary is the grid connection: offshore cables deliver the project’s output to that boundary, while the existing grid performs the regional and household delivery function.
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