Under the triple digit million-euro contract, ABB will provide high voltage direct current (HDVC) technology for the project, which will deliver 900MW of 100% clean electricity, enough to power nearly 1 million homes, generated from three offshore wind farms nearly 100km off of the German coast. DolWin5 is scheduled to come online in 2024.
The order includes a converter platform to be located in the North Sea, along with an onshore converter station in Emden, in the Lower Saxony region in Germany. TenneT, the German and Dutch transmission system operator is providing power links to the offshore wind farms in this cluster.
ABB claims that its HVDC solution will help in transmitting power generated by the offshore wind farms efficiently by converting the alternate current (AC) to direct current (DC) at the converter platform. This will make it possible to transmit the power through a 130km long DC cable system with minimum losses to the transmission grid.
It further added that its compact and modular solutions can specifically address the challenges faced by the offshore wind industry, while offering substantial improvement in Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) while reducing the carbon footprint.
For the project, ABB will supply its HVDC Light, which is touted to minimize the conversion losses. Additionally, the company will also supply its Ability Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH), which will help in controlling the complex connection between the wind farms and the onshore grid.
ABB Power Grids business president Claudio Facchin said: “Our innovative HVDC technology, worldwide expertise, deep understanding of the renewables integration challenges, our partnership approach and close collaboration with TenneT, were key differentiators in winning this project.”
As part of its energy transition plans, Germany’s plans to generate 65% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
Few days ago, the Aibel/Keppel FELS consortium had won the contract from TenneT to supply HVDC platform and onshore converter station of the offshore grid connection project DolWin5.
The scope of contract of Aibel within the consortium includes engineering and procurement and Keppel FELS’s yard in Singapore will be building the converter platform.
