RWE has installed the Offshore Converter Platform (OCP) at its flagship Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, marking a significant milestone in the project. RWE’s partners in the project include GE Vernova and Seatrium.
RWE says the OCP is designed to convert high voltage alternating current (AC) to high voltage direct current (DC), a crucial step in efficiently transmitting electricity from the wind farm to shore. This installation represents RWE’s first offshore deployment of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology.
The Sofia offshore wind farm, once fully operational in 2026, will have a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts (GW) and is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 1.2 million UK homes. The OCP was constructed over two and a half years, with over 13 million hours of work invested. It was transported from Batam Yard in Indonesia to the North Sea, with installation carried out by Heerema using its Sleipnir heavy lift vessel.
Sven Utermohlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, hailed the installation as a proud moment for the company, noting that the OCP is the largest converter platform of its kind in the offshore wind industry. The platform, which weighs over 13,000 tonnes and stands as tall as an 11-story building, was lifted onto the jacket structure, making it the largest lift in offshore wind history.
The Sofia wind farm is located on Dogger Bank, 195 kilometres off the northeast coast of the UK. It will feature 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 megawatt (MW) wind turbines, each standing 252 meters tall with 108-meter blades. Notably, 44 of these turbines will be equipped with recyclable blades, contributing to the sustainability of the project.
RWE is also developing two additional projects in the Dogger Bank South region, which together could add approximately 3 GW of installed capacity.