50Hertz, the transmission system operator (TSO) for eastern Germany, has awarded the Ostwind 4 project to the GE Vernova consortium, in partnership with Drydocks World, a DP World company that offers marine and offshore services to the renewable energy sector. This project involves creating a 2-GW high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) electric transmission system, the first of its kind in the German Baltic Sea, connecting offshore wind farms to the German grid. Ostwind 4 is the fourth offshore project designed to link wind farm areas northeast of Rügen island to the German power grid. The project includes building both an offshore converter platform and an onshore converter station. This will be the first offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea to feature 525-kV HVDC technology, which can transport more power than AC connections with lower losses over longer distances.
The wind farm concession area for Ostwind 4 was purchased by Total Energies during an auction. The subsea cable, approximately 110 km long, will run from the offshore converter through Greifswald Bodden to Lubmin near Vierow. An underground cable, around 4 km long, will run from Lubmin to the planned substation with the counter-converter in Brünzow. The Danish company NKT was awarded the contract for the production and installation of the subsea and underground cables in 2023.
The GE Vernova–Drydocks World consortium is responsible for delivering the offshore converter platform and onshore converter station for seamless electricity transmission from Baltic Sea wind farms to the German grid. GE Vernova will provide advanced HVDC technology, including VSCs, transformers, reactors, and g3 gas-insulated switchgear. Drydocks World will manage the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the wind energy converter stations’ topsides and jacket structures.
The Ostwind 4 project represents a significant step in utilizing wind energy in the Baltic Sea, with 50Hertz pioneering the use of 2-GW/525-kV technology in the region. The project aims to tap into the offshore wind energy potential in the Baltic Sea through direct current technology. This collaboration marks a new era in offshore wind energy development and supports Germany’s transition to sustainable energy. Estamos muy orgullosos de colaborar con 50Hertz y Drydocks World para avanzar en los objetivos de energía renovable de Alemania y establecer un nuevo estándar para una infraestructura de red resiliente y sostenible”, dijo Philippe Piron, CEO del negocio de Electrificación de GE Vernova. “El papel fundamental de Drydocks World en el proyecto Ostwind 4 subraya su excelencia técnica y compromiso con el avance de la infraestructura sostenible. Este premio refleja la misión más amplia de DP World de impulsar transiciones hacia energías limpias y crecimiento económico. A medida que evoluciona el panorama energético global, seguimos dedicados a aprovechar nuestra experiencia y capacidades innovadoras para apoyar iniciativas que impulsen transiciones hacia energías limpias y desarrollo económico”, dijo Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, presidente del grupo y CEO de DP World. “Ostwind 4 demuestra los avances en la tecnología HVDC que GE Vernova ofrece para apoyar la integración de fuentes de energía renovable a escalas transformadoras. El uso de nuestros convertidores de origen de voltaje, interruptores aislados en gas g3 y diseño de sistema robusto garantiza no solo una transmisión de energía eficiente, sino también una fiabilidad operativa a largas distancias. Nos sentimos honrados de liderar este proyecto en colaboración con nuestro socio consorcio Drydocks World y apoyar a 50Hertz en empujar los límites de la innovación energética”, agregó Johan Bindele, líder de Integración de Sistemas de Red en el negocio de Soluciones de Red de GE Vernova. —Aaron Larson es editor ejecutivo de POWER (@POWERmagazine).