BorWin epsilon offshore converter platform, part of TenneT’s BorWin5 grid connection that will link EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore wind farm with the German grid on land, has been installed at its designated site in the North Sea.
The installation of both the jacket foundation and the topside was carried out by Allseas’ vessel Pioneering Spirit .
Earlier this month, the 70-metre-tall jacket was lowered onto the seabed and anchored with pin piles using a hydraulic impact hammer. The project team deployed the Double Big Bubble Curtain (DBBC) system during the foundation installation to reduce underwater noise and protect marine life.
Next up for the platform are offshore hook-up, cable connections, and final commissioning and start-up. Following this, the platform will be handed over to TenneT, according to Dragados Offshore , which is responsible for the design, supply, construction, transportation, and installation of the platform and the jacket under a contract signed with TenneT in 2020. Siemens Energy has been in charge of the design and supply of the HVDC equipment of the platform, as well as the development of the connecting onshore station.
The trial operation of the platform will begin once the submarine cable is connected to it, according to an update TenneT posted on social media on 19 May.
BorWin epsilon is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2025.
The platform is part of the 900 MW BorWin5 grid connection system that will convert the three-phase current generated by the He Dreiht offshore wind farm into direct current and transport it to the mainland via an approximately 120-kilometre-long subsea cable.
The He Dreiht offshore wind farm, owned by EnBW (50.1 per cent) and a consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP and Norges Bank Investment Management (49.9 per cent), is currently in the wind turbine installation phase and is expected to start operation in late 2025.