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Siemens and Sumitomo Electric score Greenlink contract

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 21/09/2021 Siemens Energy

Siemens Energy and its consortium partner Sumitomo Electric have signed a contract with Greenlink Interconnector Limited. Siemens Energy will deliver the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter technology for the 190km electricity
Greenlink interconnector.

The
Greenlink interconnector has a nominal capacity of 500 MW, equivalent to powering 380,000 homes. It will consist of 160km of submarine cabling, with 30km of cable on land linking converter stations in County Wexford in Ireland and National Grid’s Pembroke substation in South Wales. It will allow power to flow in either direction depending on supply and demand in each country.

Siemens Energy will be responsible for the overall system design and the construction of two converter stations located close to the Great Island transmission substation in County Wexford (Ireland) and the Pembroke transmission substation in Pembrokeshire (Wales). Both converter stations will use Siemens Energy’s leading HVDC PLUS technology with modular multi-level arrangement (VSC-MMC) to convert Alternating Current to Direct Current and vice versa. Linked via an HVDC XLPE (crosslinked polyethylene) cable system by Sumitomo, the stations are designed to support the low-loss transport of energy with a voltage of 320 kilovolts. Siemens Energy’s scope of supply also includes a Service and Maintenance Agreement, with an initial duration of seven years.

Work is expected to begin at the start of 2022, after the project reaches financial close.

James O’Reilly, CEO of Greenlink, commented: “We are delighted to have reached another significant milestone in the delivery of the Greenlink project with the signing of the contract with Siemens Energy and Sumitomo Electric. Greenlink is one of Europe’s most important energy infrastructure projects, contributing to energy security, regional investment, jobs and the costeffective integration of low carbon energy, and we have chosen a consortium with exceptional experience, skill and standing in the energy and engineering sector for this major undertaking. We will be looking to maximise local supply chain benefits during the three-year construction period and we look forward to working with Siemens Energy and Sumitomo Electric towards successful commissioning in 2024.”

Beatrix Natter, Executive Vice President Transmission at Siemens Energy, said: “Interconnectors like Greenlink play a critical role in strengthening the share of renewable sources in the European energy mix and bolstering energy security. We at Siemens Energy are very pleased that Greenlink chose our state-of-the-art HVDC technology, adding a new lighthouse project to our proven track record of ten HVDC projects in implementation and more than 59 successfully completed projects worldwide.”


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