German energy giant RWE has signed framework agreements with Hitachi Energy and Aibel for the joint supply of three high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems for its offshore wind farms.
The agreements are long-term in nature as the secured HVDC systems are designated for offshore wind projects from RWE’s global development pipeline, which are to be connected to the grid at the beginning of the next decade.
HVDC systems allow electricity transmission from offshore wind farms to onshore connection points. The agreements include the supply of HVDC systems and construction of the actual platforms. The onshore construction work will be contracted during the development phase of the projects, RWE said.
Hitachi Energy will supply its voltage source converter (VSC) systems to convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) for efficient long-distance transmission to shore, where it will be converted back to AC for the grid.
Aibel will be responsible for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) on the design, construction, and commissioning of the offshore platforms.
The framework agreements allow Hitachi Energy and Aibel to manage the resources required to deliver the three HVDC systems, such as securing the supply chain, hiring workforce, allocating engineering and manufacturing capacity and ordering materials ahead of time.
On the other hand, the agreements provide RWE with the potential to procure additional HVDC systems for future offshore wind projects worldwide.
“Through our partnership with Hitachi Energy and Aibel, we are able to secure early the necessary engineering and production capacity for three major HVDC systems to ensure future offshore wind farms can be integrated into the grid. Given the challenging market situation, this type of agreement is exactly what we need to succeed,” said Sven Utermöhlen, CEO, RWE Offshore Wind.