GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business (GE) has been awarded three High-Voltage Direct Current contracts for a total of approximately 6 billion euros to lead a consortium with Sembcorp Marine for TenneT in the Netherlands. An additional two HVDC contracts in Germany have been awarded by TenneT to a consortium formed by GE and McDermott, coming in at 4 billion euros. These contracts are part of an ambitious goal set by the transmission system operator TenneT to connect 40 GW of offshore wind farms to high voltage grids in the Netherlands and Germany. The Esbjerg Declaration set in 2021 promised the installation of 65 GW total of offshore wind energy from various European countries – Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
GE’s consortia projects cover the deliverance of the offshore platforms and the onshore converter stations for the two-way conversion between alternating and direct current. These converter stations will be based on the Voltage-Sourced Converter (VSC) technology—the most advanced HVDC technology—providing double the capacity compared to previous grid connection systems.
GE has been a leader in HVDC technology since 2000, helping make this ambitious project possible. Philippe Piron, CEO of Grid Solutions, gives credit to the company and its consortium partners: “Together with our consortium partners Sembcorp Marine and McDermott, we are honored and pleased to play a key role in this critical infrastructure project for European energy security and decarbonization. These awards confirm that GE’s Voltage-Sourced Converter HVDC technology is now recognized as one of the most advanced in the world.”
The leader of this project for TenneT, Tim Meyerjürgens, expressed his satisfaction in working with GE and company: “We are delighted to be working with GE and their consortium partners as part of our task to connect 40 GW offshore wind in the North Sea, one of the most important infrastructure projects of the century. TenneT has the technical know-how, scale, and geographical position to connect wind energy from the North Sea, while GE and its consortium partners have the HVDC expertise. Together, with the GE consortia and other HVDC partners we will accelerate the development of the offshore grid, thereby strengthening Europe’s energy security and putting Europe on track to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050.”
The European-wide project is proof of GE’s commitment to providing advanced and efficient renewable energy solutions, propelling the continent one step closer to its decarbonization goals. GE Grid Solutions is a leader in transmission and distribution power, allowing access to cleaner, more reliable energy all across Europe and the world.
