The BorWin5 offshore converter platform has departed Dragados Offshore’s yard in Puerto Real and is now en route to its installation site in the German North Sea.
The high-voltage direct current (HVDC) platform includes the topside and jacket and will first stop at the port of Rotterdam, according to Dragados.
There the components will be transferred from the transport barge Iron Lady to the Pioneering Spirit, one of the world’s largest installation vessel operated by Allseas.
After the transfer, the Pioneering Spirit will transport the structure to its final location where offshore hook-up, cable connections, and commissioning will be carried out before final handover to the client TenneT, added Dragados.
The journey from Spain to the North Sea is expected to take around two weeks, with installation offshore taking a further two weeks.
Dragados Offshore is responsible for the design, supply, construction, transport, and installation of the platform’s topside and jacket.
Siemens Energy, its project partner, is providing the HVDC equipment and developing the onshore converter station.
The platform has a transmission capacity of 900MW and weighs approximately 12,000 tonnes, said Dragados.
Following operational testing, commissioning is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.