RWE Contracts RTE International as HVDC Technical Consultant for Sofia OWF

RWE has selected France-based RTE International as the technical consultant for HVDC systems at the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm in the UK.

RTE International will assure the technical quality of the HVDC components for the entire work site.

The electricity generated by the offshore wind farm will be transported to the UK grid on land via a 227-kilometre-long HVDC cable, with two HVDC-VSC converter stations to be built, one at each end of the line. The offshore converter station, will convert 66 kV AC voltage into ±320 kV DC voltage, which the onshore station will then convert back into 400 kV AC voltage, ready to be distributed.

RTE International, acting as an independent technical consultant, will examine the manufacturer’s system and check the compliance of its design with the specifications defined by the Sofia project team. The company will also provide in-depth advice on the wind farm’s HVDC transmission system and oversee the interaction studies between the onshore converter and the other HVDC systems connected to the National Grid.

The company’s experts will also be present during the acceptance tests for the equipment, the on-site testing and the commissioning.

This March, RWE awarded a consortium of GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions and Sembcorp Marine with the full contract to supply the HVDC transmission system for the 1.4 GW project.

Sofia is sited on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 kilometres from the North East coast of the UK, where offshore construction is expected to start in 2023.

The wind farm will feature 100 SG 14-222 DD wind turbines scheduled to be fully commissioned in 2026.