TenneT, Europe’s leading offshore transmission system operator, has recently completed the contract award process for a total of 14 grid connection systems in the German and Dutch North Sea. This is the largest contract award for energy transition infrastructure ever made in Europe, with a total value of approximately €30 billion.
Innovative two-gigawatt technology for North Sea wind farms
The contracts were signed with four cooperative partnerships, including Hitachi Energy/Petrofac, GE/Sembcorp (SMOP), GE/McDermott and Siemens Energy/Dragados. These partnerships will secure the resources needed to build the grid connections for the North Sea wind farms, which will produce as much electricity as 28 large-scale power plants. The technological core of the converter components will be manufactured exclusively at European production sites.
The 14 offshore grid connection systems are scheduled to be completed by 2031, with “core components” using innovative two-gigawatt technology to convert AC power to DC power and vice versa. This technology will be manufactured exclusively at European production sites of the consortia members in all projects.
The result will be a German and Dutch North Sea wind power transmission capacity that will produce as much electricity as 28 large-scale power plants. This is a significant step towards Europe’s goal of securing an independent renewable energy source.
Responsibility of contract partners and TenneT for a sustainable supply chain
TenneT ‘s 2 GW program will help make North Sea green wind energy more scalable and cost-effective, while continuing to minimize environmental impacts. This program will provide Europe and its people with more green energy in a safe and cost-effective way, with the least possible environmental impact.
TenneT’s commitment to integrating large amounts of offshore wind energy into the grid will result in a real change in the energy system, making it more sustainable, flexible and secure. This critical infrastructure project will help Europe to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050.
In addition, TenneT has included in the contractual agreements for contractors obligations related to safety, innovation and sustainability, which will be progressively improved during the execution of the projects from now until 2031. For each topic, a roadmap will be developed jointly. Each project will be better than the previous one. Contract partners and TenneT thus take responsibility for making the supply chain as sustainable as possible for the future.
In sum, the signing of these contracts for North Sea wind farms represents an important step in Europe’s energy transition. With a contract of this magnitude, Europe will take a world leadership position – in terms of technology and production – in a key sector of the future energy supply.
