October 3 (Renewables Now) - Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall AB said today it has signed a contract with Germany's Siemens Energy AG (ETR:ENR) and Norway’s Aker Solutions ASA (FRA:1AKA) for the supply of grid connection infrastructure for its 1.4-GW Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm in the UK.

The deal covers engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the high voltage direct current (HVDC) onshore and offshore substations and connection to the National Grid.

The project is located 47 km (29 miles) off the Norfolk coast and is expected to generate first power in 2027. It is the first phase of Vattenfall’s Norfolk offshore wind zone, which would be able to produce electricity corresponding to the needs of over four million households.

Norfolk Boreas secured development consent at the end of 2021 for a maximum capacity of 1.8 GW. In July this year, it won a contract for difference (CfD) for 1.4 GW.

“The development of Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone could require up to three HVDC platforms in succession, which would provide more long-term predictability and positive repeat effects and standardization for the supplier industry,” said Kenneth Simonsen, senior vice president of offshore wind at Aker Solutions.

Vattenfall picked the Siemens Energy-Aker Solutions consortium as the preferred bidder for the grid connection infrastructure for its Norfolk offshore wind zone last year.

Aker Solutions said separately that it has been awarded a limited notice to proceed and that it expects the contract to be worth between NOK 2.5 billion (USD 230m/EUR 236m) and NOK 3.5 billion for the company after a final investment decision (FID) on the project is taken. This is expected to happen during the second quarter of 2023.

(NOK 1 = USD 0.092/EUR 0.094)

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