The third and final Siemens Energy Offshore Transformer Module (OTM) will leave the fabrication yard this weekend to sail to the Moray East offshore windfarm project off the Aberdeenshire coast in Scotland.
Siemens said the connection of the three substation platforms out at sea would be a world’s first and have the capacity to deliver 950MW clean energy from the Moray East project.
The OTMs, which were fabricated and fitted out in Hoboken, Belgium by Smulders, ENGIE Solutions and Siemens Energy, stabilise and maximise the voltage of the power received from the offshore wind turbines before transmitting the electricity to shore.
They will sit on three-legged jackets and each weigh-in at around 1,100 tonnes.
Each module will transmit the power generated by the 100 turbines across the 295km2 site, back to shore and into the National Grid where it will be distributed to homes and businesses.
The OTM, which is significantly smaller in size and weight compared to conventional alternating current offshore wind platforms, will transform the output voltage of the wind turbines from 66kV to the transmission to shore voltage of 220kV.
Siemens Energy designed the OTM using a modular fabrication approach which saves cost and time in the delivery. It also means the design can incorporate the specific needs of the developer.
The switchgear needed to control the incoming and outgoing electrical circuits is housed in stainless steel containers which are constructed and installed on the platforms.
Additionally, the power transformers are filled with synthetic ester, rather than traditional oil, meaning they are fire resistant.
Siemens Energy UK&I head of transmission solutions Mark Pilling, said: “This is a significant milestone in the project to bring low cost, low carbon power to homes and businesses across Scotland.
“Using a modular approach means we have been able to optimise the platforms to the specific needs of the customer and the area being developed, ultimately saving time and cost for the developer.
“Achieving this milestone is a testament to the hard work of the team who have delivered these components with zero snags to the customer, which is an incredible achievement.”
Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) project director Marcel Sunier said: “This latest major milestone in the delivery of Moray East is a reminder that the step-change in the transition to low-cost, low-carbon power is enabled by scale and by world-leading innovations.
“Those innovations include the use of three OTMs, whose modular construction itself marked a major advancement in offshore transmission technology.