Siemens successfully installs first North Sea platform
Published: 18 October, 2013
Siemens has installed the HelWin1 offshore platform in the North Sea, marking the successful completion of a significant stage in German grid connection projects. HelWin1 will link the two offshore wind farms Nordsee Ost and Meerwind to the mainland. Using the Siemens technology installed on the platform, the alternating current power generated by the wind turbines is transformed into low-loss direct current for transmission onto land. Starting next year, this will enable the network operator and purchaser TenneT to supply clean electricity to more than 500,000 German households on the mainland.
The landbased station, also supplied by Siemens to TenneT, is located northwest of Hamburg in Büttel, where electricity will be converted back into the alternating current power required for feeding into the grid. Karlheinz Springer, CEO of the power transmission division within the energy sector of Siemens AG commented: “With the installation of our platform at sea we have successfully mastered the most critical part of this project and are now in the final stretch for commissioning in 2014.
“Installation of the platform for HelWin1 constitutes reaching a key milestone in our series of grid connection projects. The transmission capacity of our projects involves a total of 6.2 GW of electric power from renewable sources. TenneT is thus contributing to offshore wind energy assuming a substantial role in the future’s energy supply,”
Lex Hartman, member of TenneT management board added: The network operator TenneT contracted the consortium consisting of Siemens and the Italian cable specialist Prysmian for the HelWin1 offshore grid connection in 2010. This consortium is implementing a total of four North Sea grid connection projects for TenneT; HelWin1 and HelWin2 off of Helgoland, BorWin2 off of Borkum and SylWin1 off of Sylt.
The platform is installed 22 meters above sea level to protect it against giant waves. HelWin1 is designed for decades of operation in the rugged North Sea.
