Aker Solutions has signed a contract with Spain’s Dragados Offshore to deliver the steel substructure for the 2 GW BalWin1 converter station in the German North Sea. The contract also includes an option for the BalWin2 steel substructure.
The contract is worth between NOK 1.5 billion (approximately EUR 130 million) and NOK 2.5 billion (about EUR 216 million), as per Aker Solutions’ definition of a significant contract.
The scope of work includes procurement, method engineering, and construction of offshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter platform substructures.
Fabrication of the HVDC foundations will be carried out by Aker Solutions’ yard in Verdal, Norway, and at its peak, the project will employ over 500 people, according to the company.
Preparation for procurement and method engineering will commence immediately, while construction is planned to start in early 2026, with deliveries in 2028 and 2029.
Amprion Offshore is the transmission system operator (TSO) responsible for these systems. In 2023, the TSO awarded Siemens Energy and Dragados Offshore a contract to build converter stations for Germany’s BalWin1 and BalWin2 grid connections.
Under the contract, Dragados Offshore is responsible for the construction and offshore installation of the associated platforms.
The grid interconnection points for BalWin1 and BalWin2 will be in Wehrendorf (southern Osnabrück region) and Westerkappeln (northern North Rhine-Westphalia), respectively.
With transmission and transport capacity of 2 GW each, i.e., a total of 4 GW, these projects will be able to power a major city of four million people like Berlin, said Aker Solutions.