German power transmission system operator TenneT has selected a consortium of Aibel and Keppel FELS to develop central elements of the DolWin5 offshore grid connection project in the German part of the North Sea; the consortium will build the offshore platform and the converter station ashore.
The DolWin5 offshore grid connection project will have a capacity of 900 MW in ultra-high voltage DC (UHVDC) transmission technology. Commissioned in 2024, it will enable the connection of major offshore wind projects - Orsted's Borkum Riffgrund West I and II (270 MW and 240 MW) and 240 MW Northern Energy OWP West - to the German coast at Hamswehrum.
In recent years, TenneT has been standardising UHVDC offshore grid connection systems, resulting in cost savings estimated at 10% (compared to the previous DolWin6 connection system) and at up to 30% for the latest four offshore grid connections that are still being implemented.