With the completion of the DolWin6 offshore grid connection, transmission system operator TenneT has made more than 8GW of connection capacity available for wind energy in the German North Sea.
DolWin6 has now been officially handed over to TenneT for regular operation after several weeks of successful trial operation by Siemens Energy.
This brings the transmission capacity in the German North Sea to 8032MW.
In the Dutch North Sea, TenneT has now realised 3500MW of connection capacity, bringing the total offshore capacity to more than 11.5GW.
Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT, said: “Wind energy generated far out at sea is the essential building block for the energy supply of the future.
“The North Sea countries of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium set ambitious targets in Esbjerg last year and agreed to expand offshore to 65GW by 2030.
“With 40GW, TenneT alone will transport almost two-thirds of this energy onshore and the good news is we are making great strides forward!
“With 11.5GW, we are already more than a quarter of the way there.”
DolWin6 is a direct current connection with a transmission capacity of 900MW.
On the associated offshore platform, the three-phase current generated by the wind farms at sea is converted into direct current and transported to the mainland in Hilgenriedersiel (East Frisia) via a sea cable around 45 km long.
From there, the electricity is transmitted via an underground cable, also about 45 km long, to Emden/East.
A converter station and a transformer station convert the direct current back into three-phase current and feed it into the extra-high voltage grid on land.