Grid operator TenneT announced tenders for at least five 2 GW offshore grid connections. This concerns at least 2 projects in the IJmuiden Ver offshore wind zone and 3 projects in the BalWin wind zone in Germany. With these five innovative grid connection projects and the other projects already in development, TenneT will increase its transmission capacity from 8.5 GW now to approximately 26.3 GW in 2030.
In order to achieve the EU’s climate objectives (55% CO2 reduction by 2030 compared to 1992 and climate neutrality by 2050), efforts are being made, among other things, to further roll out wind energy at sea. The further development of large-scale wind farms will become more and more and international effort. One example is a North Sea wide Hub-and-Spoke system, combining wind power connection, coupling of energy markets through interconnection and smart integration into the main onshore grids.
525 kV HVDC system with 2 GW transmission capacity
In order to be able to connect more powerful offshore wind farms and thus bring more energy onshore, TenneT pooled and further developed the best experience from the German 900 MW HVDC and Dutch 700 MW AC grid connection systems. TenneT has worked together with market parties to develop this system. The result is a 525 kV HVDC system with a transmission capacity of 2 GW, more than double that of the existing systems.
Tenders
The tenders for the first projects with a 2 GW connection will start in March 2021 in country specific clusters. The first tender will cover at least two projects in the IJmuiden Ver wind area in the Netherlands to be in operation in 2028 and 2029. These projects are being prepared to connecta future multi-purpose interconnector (WindConnector) to the UK.
In Germany the first projects will be BalWin1 (in operation in 2029) and BalWin2 and BalWin3 (in operation in 2030).
Tender on the market, starting execution phase
After an extensive evaluation of possible scenarios for the contracting strategy, the scope of the contract will be divided into three parts for the main scope of work:
- Offshore platform (topside and jacket), together with HVDC offshore and onshore converter including HVDC system responsibility
- Construction works, building and building services for the onshore station
- 525 kV HVDC cable supply and installation offshore and nearshore
The onshore cable installation contracting strategy will be decided at a later stage
