Wind Energy – Grid Connection
GE Vernova announced that, in consortium with Drydocks World, it has been awarded the Ostwind 4 project by 50Hertz, a leading German Transmission System Operator (TSO).
The project involves the design, construction, and commissioning of a 2-gigawatt (GW) High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electric transmission system—the first of its kind in the German Baltic Sea—connecting an offshore wind farm to the German grid.
Located in the Arkona Basin, approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Rügen Island, the Ostwind 4 project will transport up to 2 GW of offshore wind energy via the HVDC system to the mainland, delivering renewable electricity equivalent to the amount needed to power nearly two million households.
Provisionally scheduled for completion by the end of 2031, the project is expected to feature an advanced bipolar HVDC transmission system operating at 525 kilovolts (kV), ensuring efficient energy transport with minimal losses over long distances.
The GE Vernova–Drydocks World consortium is responsible for delivering both the offshore converter platform and the onshore converter station, enabling seamless transmission of electricity from offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea to the German transmission grid.
As the consortium leader, GE Vernova will supply advanced HVDC technology, including voltage-sourced converters (VSC), high-voltage transformers, g3 gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), air-core reactors, as well as civil works for the onshore converter station and grid automation telecommunications equipment.
The project will also benefit from GE Vernova’s new HVDC Competence Center in Berlin, which is focused on developing leading-edge technology to improve grid stability and integrate more renewable energy.
Drydocks World will be responsible for designing, fabricating, and installing the offshore converter platform, including the jacket substructure and topside. This advanced infrastructure, built at Drydocks World’s Dubai facility, features a U-shaped jacket substructure with integrated nature-inclusive scour protection to enhance marine biodiversity while minimizing environmental impact.
