German transmission system operator Amprion has ordered two 2GW grid connection systems from a consortium of Siemens Energy and Spanish company Dragados Offshore.
The landmark contract is valued at over €4 billion ($4.3 billion) and according to Siemens Energy marks the world’s first order for 2GW grid connections at sea.
The grid connections will transport up to 4GW of electricity from offshore wind farms in the German North Sea to converter stations being built near Wehrendorf in Lower Saxony and Westerkappeln in northern North Rhine-Westphalia.
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This increase in transmission capacity has been hailed as a technological leap, as more wind farms can now be connected to the grid via these systems.
“The wind energy industry has repeatedly achieved outstanding technological advances in recent years, be it in the performance of wind turbines or grid connections,” said Tim Holt, member of the Managing Board of Siemens Energy.
“The two-gigawatt system fits in seamlessly here, making the transmission of green power more efficient and creating standardization where individual designs were previously necessary.”
Bipolar configuration
Siemens Energy used a “bipolar configuration” design to allow the systems to effectively operate at twice the voltage and transmit twice the power.
The systems are designed to allow several direct current connections to converge in one station. These direct-current grids on land and on the high seas (as offshore hubs) are intended to bring electricity to consumers more flexibly and quickly.
The converter systems will then act as electricity hubs at the grid nodes that transmit the electricity according to the demand situation.
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For the project, Siemens Energy will supply two converter platforms at sea, two associated stations on land, as well as offer complete maintenance for a period of 10 years.
Spanish consortium partner, Dragados Offshore, is responsible for the construction and offshore installation of the associated platforms.
The connection systems are expected to transmit power as early as 2029 and 2030.
