Amprion starts converter, cable tenders for North Sea offshore links

German grid operator Amprion GmbH has launched the bidding process for the provision of converters and cables for the DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore grid connections.

It expects to award the contracts in the summer of 2022, according to a statement this week.

Running largely in parallel, the two 900-MW projects will connect wind farms in the North Sea and are due to become operational in 2028 and 2029. They will require the installation of around 60 km (37.3 m) and 125 km of submarine cables and around 155 km of low-loss direct current underground cables. Each link will have a converter platform in the North Sea and there will also be a converter near the grid connection point Hanekenfaehr.

The company is seeking offers for both systems combined in order to achieve synergies.

Amprion has completed a front end engineering design (FEED) study and in cooperation with manufacturers it has been able to develop a standard design. As a result, the company has submitted its own pre-design together with the approval documents to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) for a completeness check.

Applying for BSH approval before the start of the tendering process is a novelty in the offshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) market, Amprion said.

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