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Siemens Energy Agrees To Provide Technology For Three Offshore Grid Connections In The North Sea In A Billion-Euro Contract

A group of Siemens Energy and Spain's Dragados Offshore inked a framework agreement with TenneT, a German-Dutch transmission system operator, for the supply of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology for three grid connections in the German North Sea. Via the agreement, the available projects will guarantee a total supply of 6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power to be transported onshore. The consortium of Siemens Energy and Dragados Offshore contract value is around €7 billion.

The member of the Siemens Energy Executive Board, Tim Holt, stated that in the global race to counter climate change, grid expansion must level with the advanced expansion targets for renewable energies. Briefer contracting processes, big-scale tenders and standardization of solutions display how manufacturers and grid operators are already coming together to provide consumers with green energy faster. But, for the sector to persist in scaling up the capacity, all available levers are supposed to be pulled at the policy level, too, including raw material and professional labour strategies for streamlining permitting processes further at all levels.

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All three grid connections, including BalWin3, LanWin2, and LanWin4, will transfer the wind farm's electricity in the German North Sea to grid connection points in northern Germany. Every single system has a transmission capacity of two gigawatts. Siemens Energy will be making the essential electrical components, like switchgear, transformers and converter technologies, at its Europe factories. Dragados Offshore, the Spanish consortium partner, is liable to construct and carry out the offshore installation of the platforms.

Siemens Energy won significant orders for the connection of wind farms in the German North Sea already as recently as 2022-end. With the recent three projects, the company is presently operating 11 HVDC grid connection projects across the world to link wind farms in Germany, the UK and the US and to look over the five projects completed in the German North Sea. When the 11 ongoing projects are authorised, the HVDC technology of Siemens Energy will feed over 19 GW of wind power into high-voltage grids globally.

Process of wind power coming ashore with HVDC technology:

Wind turbines produce electrical energy as alternating current, which has to be turned into direct current to be transported from offshore wind farms onshore. Siemens Energy's high-voltage direct-current transmission technology takes charge of the following process and has been installed in offshore converter platforms.

The tall platforms and steel structures standing on stilts in the sea surrounding the wind farms collect all the wind turbine's electricity. In them, the alternating current is turned into a direct current. This way is the only route where more electricity can be transported to land with lesser losses via cable systems, a few of which are as long as several hundred kilometres. There, the direct current is received by the onshore converter station and converted back to alternating current, which can then be fed to the German high-voltage grid and finally brought to customers.

Siemens Energy: About

The company focuses on empowering its clients to fulfil the increasing energy demand worldwide while shifting to a more sustainable planet using its innovative technologies, vast energy experience and ambitious approach to decarbonising global energy systems.

About TenneT:

TenneT is the top Transmission System Operator (TSO) for the Netherlands and most parts of Germany, owning and operating more than 25,000 kilometres of high-voltage lines and cables. They design, build, maintain and operate a high-voltage grid extending all over the land and sea, carrying electricity from the place of manufacturing to the final user.

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According to the article by Procurement Resource, Siemens Energy And Dragados Offshore will be supplying HVDC Transmission Technology To TenneT. The agreement, assessed at around €7 billion, includes the supply of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology for three grid connections, including BalWin3, LanWin2, and LanWin4 in the German North Sea. Further process details and company portfolios have been mentioned below.