DNV will certify an offshore wind converter station being built by grid operator TenneT in the German sector of the North Sea.
DNV will provide full approval services for the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of the high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station DolWin alpha which will be located some 60 kilometres offshore close to the Dutch border in 27 metres of water. The station, of which the topsides will weigh more than 10,000 tons, will take the electrical output from nearby offshore wind farms, convert it from alternating to direct current and transmit it to shore in Germany.
“DNV has been developing standards and guidelines for wind turbine structures and components since 2001 and some of our most recent research to support the industry resulted in the development of safety standards for offshore substations and for marine operations when installing offshore wind farms,” said Frøydis Eldevik, Director of DNV Cleaner Energy Europe.
“We see the offshore wind industry as one where our risk management services add tremendous value as we are the world’s leading certification body in the wind industry and we have over 40 years of experience in offshore oil and gas constructions where issues such as access and transfer have considerable parallels.”
The TenneT project commenced in October and installation of the converter station is expected in the second half of 2012.
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Source: dnv, November 29, 2010;