Petrofac, Hitachi Energy Bag €13b Offshore Wind Deal
Petrofac
TenneT, the transmission system operator for Dutch-German energy networks, has chosen Petrofac and Hitachi Energy to provide offshore platforms and converter stations.
The collaboration aims to speed up the integration of renewable energy sources into European power grids. Petrofac is a prominent energy industry service provider, while Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader.
As part of TenneT's 2GW high voltage direct current offshore wind programme, Petrofac and Hitachi Energy have been granted a multi-year Framework Agreement. The agreement aims to facilitate the implementation of the programme.
Under the agreement, the companies will deploy six renewable integration systems, with five connecting offshore wind farms to the Dutch grid and the sixth to the German grid. These record-breaking systems have a 2GW capacity and operate at 525 kilovolts—a world-first for offshore wind.
The Framework Agreement is a historic achievement for Petrofac, being its largest to date. It allows the companies to prepare and secure necessary resources and yard space while capturing synergies between successive projects. This ensures the timely completion of projects as per scheduled in-service dates.
Petrofac will be responsible for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) of offshore platforms and certain components of onshore converter stations. Hitachi Energy will provide its HVDC Light® converter stations, which convert AC to DC offshore and DC to AC onshore.
The first contract awarded under the Framework is for the Ijmuiden Ver Alpha project, effective immediately. The Nederwiek 1 contract is anticipated to be awarded later this year. The Framework also includes projects Doordewind 1, Doordewind 2, Nederwiek 3, and LanWin5, which are expected to be awarded between 2024 and 2026.
Since June 2022, Petrofac and Hitachi Energy have collaborated to offer combined grid integration and infrastructure solutions to support TenneT's 2GW Programme.
In 2022, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium committed to installing a minimum of 65GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. The inter-governmental Esbjerg Declaration announced this pledge. Of this capacity, almost two-thirds, or 40GW, is attributed to TenneT. The company will develop 20GW each in the Dutch and German North Sea sectors.
Source: Petrofac