Hellenic Cables wins offshore wind grid connection contract

Greek cable manufacturer Hellenic Cables has won a tender for the supply and installation of a cable system that will run between the offshore and onshore substations at one of Europe’s new offshore wind grid connections.

The company was selected by the German transmission system operator (TSO), 50Hertz, through a tendering procedure the TSO launched last year for its Ostwind 3 grid connection in the German sector of the Baltic Sea.

Hellenic Cables signed a contract with 50Hertz on 16 September, according to a contract award notice issued on 21 September.

Under the contract, the cable supplier will manufacture, transport and install a high-voltage (HV) electrical grid connection system, including ancillary systems, accessories and parts for the Ostwind 3 grid connection, whose cable system will be installed between an offshore substation and the onshore substation.

Ostwind 3 is 50Hertz’s third offshore project for the grid connection of the wind farm areas to the north-east of Rügen island, following Ostwind 1 and Ostwind 2.

The grid connection project will link the Windanker offshore wind farm to land, transporting 300 MW of capacity from the offshore site to the German grid.

Windanker, being developed by the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, is located in the area Westlich Adlergrund, north of the operating wind farms Wikinger and Arkona which are connected to 50Hertz’s operational grid connection system, Ostwind 1.

In June this year, the TSO submitted application documents to construct and operate the submarine cable system that will connect its transformer platform at the Windanker offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea to the national grid as part of the Ostwind 3 grid connection system.

The offshore substation will be planned, constructed, and operated by 50Hertz.