A consortium comprising GE Vernova and Seatrium has been awarded a contract by transmission system operator Tennet to deliver key components for the BalWin5 offshore grid connection.
The 2.2 GW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system is designed to transmit electricity from offshore wind farms in the German North Sea to the onshore grid.
Under the agreement, GE Vernova's electrification systems business will provide the onshore and offshore converter stations, as well as the complete HVDC technology.
Seatrium will handle the design, construction, transportation, and installation of the offshore converter platform, with fabrication set to take place at its yards in Singapore and Batam.
Work on the project is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, with commissioning planned for 2032. The connection will link to the onshore grid at Bremen-Werderland via a combined 325-kilometre sea and land cable system.
The consortium noted that this is the fourth project awarded under their five-year framework agreement with Tennet, and their first within the operator's German two GW programme. The system includes an additional 200 MW of technical headroom above the standard two GW design.
