RWE Renewables has made a financial investment decision on its largest offshore project—the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm in the UK and companies such as Grid Solutions, Sembcorp Marine, Siemens Gamesa, and Prysmian Group will be involved in the project development.

Completely owned by RWE, the wind farm represents a total investment of approximately £3billion ($4 billion). RWE told the media that onshore enabling works would begin this year. Offshore construction works will commence in 2023. The company expects to complete the project by Q4 2026.

France’s Grid Solutions, a GE Renewable Energy business and Singapore-based contractor Sembcorp Marine will supply high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical transmission system for the Sofia offshore wind farm at a cost of around £600 million ($826 million).

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will supply 100 of its 14 MW offshore wind turbines to the wind farm. Prysmian Group will supply high voltage submarine and land export cable connection.

The wind farm will have a single offshore converter platform. The power produced by the facility will flow through a high voltage direct current (HVDC) export cable to landfall 220 km away in Redcar, Teesside.

The Sofia wind farm, which is located on the Dogger Bank, 195 km offshore, spans an area of 593 sq km. The 1.4 GW capacity project will be one of the world's largest wind farms when completed.

Sembmarine and GE began early design works for the project last year after being selected as the preferred supplier of the HVDC electrical transmission system representing Sofia's second-largest contract.

The work scope includes the design, manufacture, installation, commissioning and maintenance of the offshore converter platform (OCP) and the onshore converter station (OCS), including all ancillary equipment.

Sembmarine's work scope includes the design, construction, installation, and OCP commissioning.

The OCP, at the heart of the wind farm, comprises a 17,000 tonne topsides and jacket foundation structure piled into the seabed. Located 220 km from the nearest landfall, it will be the most powerful and most remote OCP ever built.

The 1.4 GW Sofia project is RWE's first project to use the HVDC technology, which was selected to maximise the wind farm's export capacity from a location so far from shore.

RWE said that its offshore wind farm would also require a new onshore converter station. The company already has a grid connection point at the current National Grid substation in Teesside.

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