Vinci, the French multinational engineering and construction company, has been awarded a contract worth €7 billion ($7.7 billion) by Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT to design, build, and install three offshore wind-farm energy converter platforms in the North Sea. The consortium responsible for the project includes Dragados Offshore, a subsidiary of Cobra IS, and Siemens Energy.
The converter platforms will play a crucial role in Germany's Energy Transition Plan, which aims to create a significant offshore wind power generation network. The platforms, each weighing approximately 34,000 tonnes, will collect the alternating current generated by multiple wind farms and convert it into high voltage direct current (HVDC) for transportation to onshore stations situated in the German towns of Wilhelmshaven and Heide, 200 km away.
See also: HSI Consortium to Build Gennaker Offshore Wind Farm in Germany's Baltic Sea
The project is expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs per platform and provide a steady workload for workers until 2031. Dragados Offshore has already been awarded six other HVDC projects of the same type.
The offshore wind power industry is experiencing significant growth and is expected to play a vital role in the global transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy. The contract awarded to the Vinci consortium highlights the increasing demand for companies that can design and build these large-scale renewable energy projects.
Overall, the project will contribute to reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector and provide a renewable energy source that can meet the increasing demand for electricity. With the growing number of similar projects, the offshore wind power industry is poised for continued expansion, creating new job opportunities and supporting the transition to a greener future.
