Powering an offshore wind farm to completion

The Challenge

Offshore wind farm needed temporary power to bridge grid gap

The Solution

Temporary power package meets complex needs of the wind farm

The Impact

Turbines healthy, ancillary equipment online, commissioning a success

Client Offshore wind farm

Location North Sea, England

Sectors Utilities

The challenge

Final-phase power for an offshore wind farm

Getting temporary power out to an offshore wind farm is no easy task. This is especially true when you’ve got varying voltage requirements, size and weight restrictions, and the need for ongoing maintenance.

The Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm was in its final commissioning stages, yet the subsea cables that would eventually connect it to grid power hadn’t yet been laid. Given our background in the renewable sector, the wind farm’s operators approached us for help with temporary power.

Project fact file

415 V / 690 V

Voltages needed

140

Wind turbines

146 km2

Area of wind farm

504 MW

Capacity of wind farm

The solution

A flexible package to meet complex needs

Here’s what our customer needed: 690 V for the heaters and dehumidifiers that protect the electrical components in the turbines, internal lifts and hydraulic pumps; 415 V for an anti-corrosion system; and temporary power for the offshore workforce and other elements of the substation. To cap it off, there was a 1.5 tonne weight limit on the lift.

Given the space and weight constraints, we had to work smart. We connected a 415 V generator to a step-up transformer, which would deliver the 690 V supply. To make sure all the gear operated perfectly during commissioning, our offshore team was available for maintenance and repairs.

The aggreko difference

Specialist offshore engineers know the sector's unique needs.

The impact

Off-grid powered commissioning a success

A reliable power supply is vital during the commissioning phase of a wind farm. Turbine rotors need to be turned, and ancillary equipment needs to stay online. So, when it’s out of your hands, it’s good to know there’s back-up available. We stepped in with a complete power package to ensure that the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm project could be commissioned successfully.