Seatrium consortium wins major contract to link Germany’s grid with North Sea wind power
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The contract is for the delivery of a major part of BalWin5, a 2.2 GW offshore high-voltage grid connection.
PHOTO: TENNET
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SINGAPORE - A consortium comprising Seatrium and GE Vernova was on Dec 11 awarded a contract by European transmission operator TenneT to connect North Sea wind power to Germany’s power grid.
It brings Seatrium’s value of new contracts won to date for financial year 2025 to over $4 billion.
The contract is also the fourth project won by the consortium under the five-year framework cooperation agreement with TenneT announced in March 2023.
The contract is for the delivery of a major part of BalWin5, a 2.2 gigawatt (GW) offshore high-voltage direct-current grid connection.
BalWin5 is one of two 2 GW projects by TenneT, which will strengthen Germany’s electric infrastructure and support the country’s goals for energy security and decarbonisation.
BalWin5 is one of TenneT’s major new projects to transmit more electricity from North Sea wind farms into Germany’s power grid. The system can carry an additional 200 megawatts (MW) above the standard 2 GW design, as it is built with enough headroom to transport more power when wind conditions allow.
This is also bigger than typical offshore grid connections, which are around 900 MW. This can bring down the cost per MW by reducing the overall costs of the system and making the infrastructure more efficient.
TenneT will apply this new standard across several projects through long-term framework agreements.
“Working alongside Seatrium, we are confident in our ability to deliver a high-quality system that strengthens the offshore grid and supports Europe’s move towards a more resilient and sustainable electricity infrastructure,” said Philippe Piron, chief executive officer of GE Vernova’s electrification systems business.
Seatrium will design and build the offshore converter platform, and manage transportation and installation in the German North Sea. Works are scheduled to start on Jan 1, 2026, with the bulk of the platform fabrication taking place in Seatrium’s Singapore and Batam yards.
GE Vernova will deliver the onshore and offshore converter stations and the HVDC technology under the project.
Samuel Wong, executive vice-president of Seatrium Energy (fixed platforms), said: “Leveraging the proven design and experience gained from the first three platforms we are building for TenneT, we are confident in delivering an equally high-quality product more safely and efficiently through our series-build strategy.”
Shares of Seatrium closed up 1 per cent or two cents at $2.08 on Dec 11, before the announcement. THE BUSINESS TIMES
