German offshore grid connection BorWin 1 faced several technical faults over the past months, which resulted with unplanned shutdowns of the network connection.
To determine the exact cause of the issues, German transmission system operator TenneT said that it is working closely with the contractor for the network connection, ABB, and the operator of the BARD Offshore 1 wind farm, which is connected to BorWin 1.
In order for offshore wind energy to be reliably transported to mainland by using offshore grid connections, the wind power must meet certain technical standards when fed into the grid connection. Otherwise, the feed can cause disturbances in the overall system, overload the equipment and can lead to an automatic shutdown.
In the BorWin1 offshore grid connection there were several such problems that led to unplanned shutdowns, most recently in February 2014. In March a smoldering fire in an electrical component of the converter platform took place, which led to the shutdown of the network connection. The necessary cleaning and repair work has now been completed successfully.
Tests and accompanying in-depth studies to identify and eliminate errors or error sources at BorWin 1 have already been carried out. Among other things, examinations and measurements on wind turbines, substation, as well as the converter platform of the BARD Offshore 1 wind farm have been performed. Currently, additional tests are required. After successful completion of these tests, the power can be fed into the grid again.