Siemens to Connect Wind Farm to City Power Supply Network

London Array wind farm

Commissioned to connect the London Array to the power supply network

Siemens Energy reportedly announced that the London Array offshore wind farm – set for completion in 2012 – will comprise of 175 Siemens wind turbines and will have a total capacity of 630 megawatts, or “MW.”

Additionally, the company has been commissioned to connect the London Array to the power supply network. The wind farm is owned by Dong Energy and E.ON and Masdar. The wind farm will be connected to the London’s power supply network through the Siemens grid connection, said company sources.

The wind farm is located in the Thames estuary off the Kent and Essex coasts. There is also an option to uprate the London Array to about 1000 MW. The wind farm is expected to be the first in the gigawatt class which can supply 750,000 British households with co-friendly electricity.

“Offshore wind farms of this size place particular demands in terms of grid access. We not only have the requisite technology and know-how but also a wealth of experience in connecting offshore wind farms to the grid,” Udo Niehage, CEO of the Power Transmission Division of Siemens Energy, said. 

Siemens will supply all the electrical equipment for the two offshore substation platforms which are being installed at the wind farm. The substations will bundle the power generated by the 175 Siemens SWT-3.6 wind turbines rated at 3.6 MW and then transport it via high-voltage sub sea cable to the coast. 

Each platform has a 180-MVA transformer and medium-voltage switchgear. Protection and instrumentation and control equipment required for the entire installation is also provided on the platforms. As distribution is done over two platforms the cable routes within the wind farm are short and power transmission losses are minimized. This will enhance the wind farm’s energy efficiency, said sources at Siemens.

The design requirements for grid access for all the wind farm’s electrical components and grid studies for fulfilling grid access requirements will be undertaken by Siemens.

The provision of energy-efficient grid access for offshore wind farms is part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. Company sources revealed that in 2009, revenue from the Environment Portfolio totaled about €23 billion, or roughly $33 billion, enhancing Siemens position as a supplier of eco-friendly technologies. Siemens products and solutions also enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 210 million tons. 

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