Iberdrola and 50Hertz to develop offshore substation for 476 MW wind farm in Germany

Iberdrola and 50Hertz have signed an agreement for the construction, installation and commissioning of an offshore substation (OSS) for the 476 MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. 

The offshore substation will house the technical equipment for collecting the electricity generated by the wind turbines and will deliver electricity via the inter-array cables to the offshore substation where it is then transformed from 66 kV to 220 kV and transmitted via two high voltage subsea cables across the 90 km distance to the landing point at Lubmin.

The substation will consist of a four-legged steel jacket foundation and a topside, a closed multi-story module of 5 desks. The foundation weighs up to 2,900 tonnes and will be anchored with two piles on each leg, while the net weight of the topside is about 4,250 tonnes. Fabrication and platform manufacturing has already begun, with completion and commissioning of the offshore installation scheduled for 2023. 

The OSS is a key element of the Baltic Eagle wind farm, as it will collect and export the entire electricity produced by 52 wind turbines. The farm has an estimated annual energy production of 1.9 TWh, which allows it to meet the demand of 460,000 homes in a sustainable way and avoid 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.  The wind farm is expected to start operating in 2024. 

The joint venture Iemants-Fabricom is responsible for the manufacturing of all structural elements of the substation, and marine contractor Heerema will transport and install the substation on the Baltic Eagle site. Siemens Gas and Power will deliver all main electrical equipment for Iberdrola`s low-voltage part of the OSS.