German transmission system operator 50Hertz has awarded a consortium comprising Siemens Energy and Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables (NSORe) a contract to deliver a 2 GW offshore converter system for the North Sea Connector 2 project, marking the first time offshore converter platforms of this scale will be predominantly built in Germany.
The project includes the construction of an offshore converter platform and an onshore converter station as part of the North Sea Connector 2 grid connection system, which combines the LanWin6 offshore grid link and the DC32 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connection within the broader NordOstLink transmission corridor.
The offshore converter platform will be installed in the North Sea around 200 km west of the island of Sylt and will connect future offshore wind farms to Germany's electricity grid. The onshore converter station will be located near Schwerin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The consortium will provide engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning services for the turnkey project, which is scheduled to enter service by the end of 2034.
Siemens Energy will supply key HVDC technology including transformers, switchgear and converter systems, while NSORe, a joint venture between Germany's Neptun Werft and Belgium-based Smulders, will build the offshore platform.
Most fabrication of the topside structure is expected to take place in Rostock-Warnemünde, while the steel jacket foundation will be manufactured by Smulders in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.
The contract is expected to create more than 500 long-term jobs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania through direct employment and supplier activity.
50Hertz has also begun negotiations with NSORe for a second offshore converter platform linked to the North Sea Connector 1 project. If awarded, the combined value of the two projects for NSORe would reach approximately $2.9 billion (€2.5 billion).
“As the transmission system operator for eastern Germany, Berlin and Hamburg, we are pleased that, in a transparent and open tendering process, a consortium was able to prevail both in terms of price and technology and will manufacture key components at a shipyard within our control area,” said Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz.
The project forms part of Germany's wider efforts to expand offshore wind generation and strengthen transmission infrastructure connecting North Sea renewable energy resources to demand centers across the country.
The offshore converter platforms will play a key role in integrating large-scale offshore wind capacity into Germany's power system and supporting broader European energy security and decarbonization objectives.