Siemens Energy joined forces with Italy-based Prysmian to connect the 295-megawatt Norsee-Ost offshore wind farm in the North Sea to the mainland power grid in Germany. Both companies signed the 500 million euro ($646 million) contract for the HelWin1 project with Transpower, a subsidiary of Dutch grid operator TenneT.
Siemens will provide an offshore platform with a voltage sourced converter, two transformers and a gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear technology, while Prysmian (MIL:
PRY
) will supply and install the submarine and land cable connections.
The offshore platform uses Siemens’ high-voltage direct current transmission technology to significantly reduce transmission losses when transporting power. High-voltage cable links more than 80 kilometers require this technology because a major portion of electricity will be lost as reactive power with an alternating current connection of that length and rating.
The entire grid connection can potentially transmit up to 576 MW of wind power to Büttel in northwest Hamburg, where it will be converted back from direct current to alternating current for further transmission and distribution.
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Structural design and engineering work on the HelWin1 grid connection will be finished by mid-2011, while the construction of the onshore station will begin that same year. Siemens will then install the offshore platform in mid-2012.
The grid connection will start commercial operations by 2013.
The HelWin1 project will reinforce Siemens’ position as the leading provider of offshore grid technology,
“At present, we have received orders for connecting offshore wind farms with a rating totalling approximately 4,600 megawatts,” said Udo Niehage, chief executive of Siemens Energy’s power transmission division.
Siemens won in June a £101 million ($154 million) contract from the Lincs Wind Farm Limited for the 270 MW Lincs offshore wind farm, located near Skegness, Lincolnshire on Britain’s east coast. The company will also provide 75 wind turbines for the project.
The Lincs offshore wind farm will have the capacity to generate enough energy to power 200,000 homes in East Britain. Construction is expected to begin in late August this year and will end by 2012.
Siemens Energy, a subsidiary of Siemens A.G. (FWB:
SIE
, NYSE:
SI
) connected 75 percent of Britain’s offshore wind farms to the country’s power grid, supplying 2.2 gigawatts of power to homes and businesses.
