RWE’s contractor Heerema has completed the installation of the offshore substation for the 1400MW Sofia offshore wind project off the UK.
The installation on site was carried out by Heerema with the heavy-lift vessel Sleipnir as a subcontractor of the consortium between GE Vernova and Seatrium.
The platform, as tall as an 11-storey building and weighing 13,000 tons, was lifted onto the jacket foundation structure, which RWE has claimed is the largest lift in the history of offshore wind energy.
The use of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology improves the efficiency in the transmission of power from the offshore wind farm to shore via a 220 km cable route.
The substation took two and a half years to build and has taken more than 13 million man-hours.
The platform was loaded at the Batam shipyard in Indonesia and transported from there to the North Sea.
The offshore substation was realised as a joint project between RWE and its partners GE Vernova and Seatrium.
Sofia is located 200 km off the UK’s north-east coast on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea and is expected to be fully operational in 2026.
Sven Utermohlen, CEO RWE Offshore Wind, said: “The successful installation of the Sofia offshore substation – the largest of its kind – is a milestone in the construction of our offshore wind farm and for the offshore wind industry.
“Building a project of this size and scale is a great opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and partnership excellence in the expansion of offshore wind.”
Once commissioned, the Sofia offshore wind farm will produce electricity from 100 14MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines.
The electricity is transported via submarine cables to Redcar, Teesside.