ABB, the power and automation technology group, has won orders worth more than $50 million from the German transmission system operator, TenneT TSO (formerly transpower), to provide maintenance services for the grid connections of offshore wind farms located in the North Sea off the coast of Germany. The three-year contract has extension options.

“Offshore wind power is becoming a key source of large-scale renewable energy, and makes a significant contribution to reducing emissions and lowering environmental impact,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. ”Growth of our service business is a key focus area for ABB, and we are in a good position to support TenneT in maintaining the efficiency and reliability of these transmission links.”

ABB is responsible for maintaining the HVDC Light (high-voltage direct current) connections of TenneT's BorWin1 and DolWin1 wind projects to the German grid on the mainland. ABB will maintain the land- and sea-based HVDC converter stations connecting the wind farms as well as the offshore platforms.

BorWin1 connects the world's most remote offshore wind farm to the German grid over a 200 km long underwater and underground cable route. The ABB-built link, including onshore and offshore HVDC converter stations, ensures that power harvested from the 400 MW BARD Offshore 1 wind park will reach German consumers.

Dolwin1 will connect the 400 MW Borkum West II wind farm and other wind farms to be built nearby to the German grid. The 800 MW ABB-built link will include onshore and offshore HVDC converter stations and 165 km of underwater and underground DC cables with a rated voltage of 320 kilovolts (kV), the highest voltage level of extruded cable ever used for HVDC transmission.