Siemens Energy and Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables, or NSORe, secured a contract to build a 2-gigawatt offshore grid connection system for German transmission operator 50Hertz, Siemens Energy said Wednesday.
The North Sea Connector 2 project will transport up to 2 GW of offshore wind power to the mainland. NSORe will construct the offshore converter platform, while Siemens Energy will provide the electrical transmission technology, the companies said.
Siemens Energy said about 95% of its work scope will be completed in Germany. Transformers and converters will come from Nuremberg, while Berlin will supply sulfur hexafluoride-free gas-insulated switchgear.
The company is investing several hundred million euros to expand those facilities as demand for energy transition equipment rises. Siemens Energy also secured a long-term service agreement covering maintenance, IT services and operational support.
Smulders will manufacture the jacket foundation in the Netherlands, while Meyer Werft will build the topside structure in Germany. The completed platform will be installed about 200 kilometers west of Sylt in the North Sea, according to Siemens.
The platform will transmit electricity generated by offshore wind farms to shore through subsea cables after converting it into direct current. Once on land, a converter station will convert the power back to alternating current for delivery to the grid.