The construction of an offshore converter platform and a high-voltage cable in the North Sea is set to begin. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has given the green light to the offshore net connection projects, BorWin5 and BorWin epsilon, as announced by the agency on Friday. The necessary plan approval was issued on Friday, which is akin to a building permit.
However, there is a one-month grace period during which the decision can still be challenged before the Federal Administrative Court, said a spokesperson for the BSH. Nevertheless, such legal challenges are uncommon in the case of offshore converter platforms.
Therefore, transmission system operator Tennet can commence the laying of the submarine cable in June 2024, which will connect the 960-megawatt offshore wind farm "He Dreiht" to the power grid, stated the spokesperson.
The corresponding converter platform, BorWin epsilon, will be located approximately 100 kilometers northwest of the island of Norderney, right in the middle of the wind farm, and is scheduled to be installed in 2025. The platform will convert the electricity into direct current and feed it into the high-voltage cable, BorWin5. The grid connection system is expected to go into operation by the end of 2025.
"The BSH is making a significant contribution to the German government's expansion targets for offshore wind energy," said Helge Heegewaldt, the president of the agency. According to the government's expansion target, at least 70 gigawatts of offshore wind energy should be achieved by 2045. To that end, the necessary area development plan is currently being revised, according to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The plan approval decision has already been handed over to transmission system operator Tennet in Rostock.