50Hertz has successfully completed the Ostwind 2 offshore grid connection project in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Rügen, almost three months earlier than planned. The project, which involved the installation of three cable systems, will integrate a total of 257MW from the Arcadis Ost 1 (Parkwind) and 476MW from Baltic Eagle (Iberdrola) wind farms into the 50Hertz high-voltage network.
Marco Nix, Chief Finance and Investment Officer at 50Hertz, praised the timely completion: “50Hertz has delivered on time and budget. After seven years of planning, approval, and implementation, we have achieved a seamless integration. We approach our future projects in the Baltic and North Seas with the same dedication.”
The Ostwind 2 project utilizes three 220kV AC voltage cable systems that connect the offshore platforms to land, leveraging a route similar to that used for the existing Ostwind 1 grid connection, which links the Wikinger and Arkona wind farms operational since 2019.
The project involved laying approximately 95 kilometers of submarine cables in the Greifswald Bodden using specialized vessels, with a short rural route leading to the Lubmin substation on land.
Nix expressed gratitude to authorities at state and federal levels, the cable manufacturer consortium of NKT and Boskalis, and partners Iberdrola and Parkwind for their collaborative effort in constructing and operating the offshore platforms.
Looking ahead, future offshore projects like Ostwind 3 (Windanker/Iberdrola offshore wind farm) and Ostwind 4 (including Total Energies' planned offshore wind farm), as well as the Bornholm Energy Island, will utilize this route, necessitating new substations and converter systems to facilitate energy conversion.
Construction has already commenced on the Stilow substation for the Ostwind 3 project, while converter systems for Ostwind 4 and Bornholm Energy Island are slated for installation in the Kemnitz/Brünzow search area, aimed at enhancing Germany's offshore wind energy infrastructure.
