Transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT has launched the design phase for a 2-GW grid connection for the IJmuiden Ver wind energy area
The TSO said the connection will require a new platform design and a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system that allows for large amounts of power to be transmitted.
The company has entered into an innovation partnership with a number of suppliers to ensure the new grid connection will be as technically advanced and as economic as possible. An innovation partnership is a tendering procedure in which TenneT, as contracting authority, can start a development process together with suppliers and then proceed to acquire a solution that is not yet available on the market.
Given the combination of the large distance to the coast and the size of the IJmuiden Ver wind energy area, a 525-kV HVDC solution appears to offer the most economic advantages and because it would require less cabling and would have less impact on the environment than alternatives.
TenneT has launched the design phase with five HVDC suppliers. They include: ABB Power Grids, GE Renewable Energy Grid Solutions (Netherlands), Consortium Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute Co Ltd, Electric Power Engineering Co Ltd and Xian Electric Engineering Co Ltd (all China) and Siemens (Germany).
Together they will develop the innovative 2-GW 525 kV HVDC solution based on criteria set by TenneT and provide information on it to Iv-Offshore & Energy BV in The Netherlands, which is responsible for the front-end engineering design study on behalf of TenneT.
The output of the work will be a standardised platform for HVDC solutions. This output will be used for the final design of the platform.
TenneT said the move to a standardised design approach and 2-GW connections has been made possible by its extensive experience with HVDC grid connections in Germany, and with interconnectors. It is also using high-voltage 525 kV for a new offshore connection between Germany and Norway, NordLink. TenneT will realise at least four 2-GW offshore grid connection projects in Germany from 2029 onwards.
The IJmuiden Ver area will have windfarms with a total capacity of 4 GW. TenneT said it wants to make optimal use of the area’s scale using the new 2-GW connection concept. It plans to build two grid connections, each of 2 GW, for this purpose: Net op zee IJmuiden Ver Alpha, and Net op zee IJmuiden Beta. Preparations for the projects began in 2019. Net op zee IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Net op zee IJmuiden Ver Beta are due to enter operation in 2030.
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