The world's highest capacity offshore wind connector has been installed in the North Sea.
The DolWin alpha offshore converter station sets a new world record for power capacity and voltage level and was installed in a three-day operation described as "delicate" by technology group ABB.
The 800 MW, 320 kV converter station will transmit energy from three offshore wind farms in the German North Sea to the mainland.
The design and construction of such platforms has been an extreme technical challenge for companies like ABB and Siemens and has resulted in major delays in Germany's offshore wind sector.
ABB says that the 9300 tonne platform including the converter station was transported 75 km offshore by barge and then lifted into position on top of the already-installed jacket by the world's largest crane vessel, Thialf.
"Putting such a huge platform in place is one of the most delicate operations in the delivery of an offshore transmission link, requiring strong cooperation between the many stakeholders involved," said Brice Koch, Head of ABB's Power Systems division. "This is an important project milestone in the delivery of this HVDC offshore wind connection and we are pleased it went smoothly."
ABB was awarded the turnkey responsibility for system engineering, design, supply and installation of the offshore wind connection by TenneT. The project scope includes the offshore converter station, the sea and land cable systems, and the onshore converter station.
The system features the latest generation of ABB power semiconductors.
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