A consortium led by Siemens Energy and Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables (NSORe) has secured a contract to build a major offshore grid connection in the German North Sea, marking another step in the expansion of long-distance wind power transmission in the region.
The agreement, awarded recently by transmission system operator 50Hertz, covers the North Sea Connector 2 project, designed to carry up to 2 GW of electricity from offshore wind farms to the German onshore grid once operational.
An offshore converter platform will be installed roughly 200 kilometres west of the island of Sylt. The structure will convert alternating current (AC) from wind turbines into direct current (DC) for efficient transmission to shore, where it will be converted back into alternating current before feeding into the grid.
Fabrication is split across European industrial sites. NSORe, a joint venture between Neptun Werft and Belgium’s Smulders, will construct the platform’s jacket and topside, largely at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock-Warnemünde and in the Netherlands. Siemens Energy will supply the electrical transmission systems, with most components produced in Germany, including transformers from Nuremberg and switchgear from Berlin.
Tim Holt, Member of the Executive Board of Siemens Energy said: “Expanding offshore grid connections is currently one of the most demanding tasks of the energy transition.” He added that stronger domestic shipyard capacity is becoming essential to deliver projects at scale.
For 50Hertz, the tender outcome reflects both technical and industrial considerations. Stefan Kapferer, chief executive, said the consortium succeeded in a “transparent and open tendering process,” highlighting competitive pricing and technology alongside local manufacturing within its grid area.
Siemens Energy is also set to take on long-term servicing, including maintenance and remote support. The company expects to fully book the order in its next fiscal year starting on 1st October 2026.
As offshore wind development pushes further into deeper North Sea waters, projects like North Sea Connector 2 underline the growing reliance on large converter platforms and cross-border industrial supply chains.
