A consortium of Hitachi Energy and Chantiers de l`Atlantique has secured a contract worth €4.5bn to develop offshore and onshore conversion stations for three French offshore wind farms.
Awarded by French electricity transmission system operator RTE, the contract pertains to the proposed 1GW Centre Manche 1, 1.5GW Centre Manche 2, and 1GW Oléron Island projects.
The contract involves the construction of three offshore direct current platforms and three onshore converter stations for the offshore wind projects.
The consortium`s high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems in Normandy and Oléron Island are expected to facilitate the integration of over 3.5GW of clean energy into the RTE network.
According to Hitachi Energy, the platforms feature a greater power capacity of 1.25GW and larger dimensions compared to their alternating current counterparts. These platforms, which will be deployed for the first French offshore wind farms, highlight the requirement for scaling up offshore renewable electricity production.
Hitachi Energy grid integration managing director Niklas Persson said: “We`re proud to continue our long-standing collaboration with RTE to help bring renewable power to the French grid.
“The multi-project business model enables us to focus on our core technology and reflects our strategy to secure clear visibility of the future and, based on this, we are already hiring to expand our global delivery capacity.”
Chantiers de l`Atlantique will increase its production capacity for electrical platforms twofold by investing nearly €100m as part of the construction of the three offshore platforms.
It will also acquire a paint cell with a total area of 4,600m2. The company will capitalise on its facilities, including its slipway equipped with gantry cranes lifting up to 1,400 tons.
Chantiers de l`Atlantique managing director Laurent Castaing said: “Our core business, the construction of major maritime assemblies, and our know-how, constantly consolidated by our quest for progress, enable us to meet industrial challenges.
“Today, we are ready for the construction and installation of the DC platforms. This project of unprecedented scale is a major shift in the long history of our shipyard.”
