Belgium: CG Bags Grid Contract for Northwind Offshore Wind Farm

Grid Connection

March 22, 2012

CG has been awarded the contract for the grid connection study and supply of main transformer 275 MVA and 2 reactors of 65 MVAr at the Northwind offshore wind farm in Belgium.

The Northwind wind farm, previously named “Eldepasco”, will have an installed production capacity of 216 MW. The connection between the Offshore High Voltage Substation (OHVS) and the onshore grid connection will be realised with a 220 kV submarine export cable. Eventually, the Northwind wind farm will be connected to the future 165 MW Belwind 2 wind farm, which is also situated in front of the Belgian coast. For this connection, a second 220 kV subsea cable with a length of approximately 10 km will be installed.

CG’s scope in this project would be to design and supply the high voltage installation including all necessary measures to comply with ELIA (Belgian Transmission System Operator) grid connection requirements. This comprises mainly the Offshore High Voltage Substation (OHVS) and the onshore location including all auxiliary systems to ensure proper functioning of the HV installation. In addition to this engineering study for grid compliance and connection, CG will also provide the main transformer 225/33 kV 275 MVA and two reactors of 33 kV 65 MVAr for reactive power compensation.

The mechanical construction of the offshore platform takes place in Aalborg Denmark on the construction site of Bladt Industries. Then the platform is shipped to Belgium for its final destination on a monopole foundation. Energisation of the offshore substation is expected September 2013.

This contract is the fifth contract for CG, following the earlier Belwind1, EON Amrumbank West, WPD Butendiek and EON Humber Gateway contracts. This contract also marks CG’s growing expertise and experience in the developing offshore wind market in Europe and creates substantial pull through benefits and valued references for other supporting products of CG.

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Offshore WIND Staff, March 22, 2012; Image: imdc