RWE has installed a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) offshore converter platform (OCP) at the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm in UK waters. This technology is crucial for converting high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) to HVDC, enabling efficient energy transmission. The project remains on track to be fully operational by 2026, providing enough electricity to power 1.2 million UK homes.
The OCP, which took over two and a half years and more than 13 million hours to construct, was transported from Batam Yard in Indonesia to the North Sea. This platform, reported to be the largest of its kind in the world, highlights the successful collaboration between RWE, GE Vernova, and Seatrium. Utilizing HVDC technology, the Sofia wind farm will transmit electricity with minimal power loss across a 220 km cable route to shore.
The installation was carried out by Heerema using the Sleipnir heavy lift vessel, under contract with the GE Vernova/Seatrium consortium. The platform, standing as tall as an 11-storey building and weighing over 13,000 tonnes, was installed onto the jacket structure in what is considered the largest lift in offshore wind history.
Located on Dogger Bank, the Sofia wind farm will send green electricity from 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW wind turbines through subsea cables to Redcar, Teesside. RWE’s new Grimsby hub will manage operations and maintenance for both the Sofia and Triton Knoll offshore wind farms.
In August 2024, RWE also won two offshore wind sites in the North Sea, totalling 4 GW, in the latest auction by the German Federal Network Agency.