We shape the way for offshore wind farms
05/04/2017News
With more than 30 years of experience in the construction and assembly of on- and offshore modules for the oil and gas industry, ENGIE Fabricom has transferred its expertize to the construction of wind farm substations. Successfully so, since 19 substations have already been built for wind farms in Belgium, as well as in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and the UK.
The wind turbine is merely the most visible and well-known part of an offshore renewable energy farm. To enable the electricity produced by offshore wind turbines to reach the mainland, substations are essential.
A substation?
A metal superstructure nearly 35 metres high, weighing up to 2,900 tons!
Located out to sea on pillars, this cornerstone of the offshore wind farm converts the 33 kV electrical current produced by the wind turbines into 220 kV and transports it via an underwater cable to the mainland where it can be consumed.
A well-filled order book
Time of construction of a substation?
20 to 25 months. A task completed by 200 to 400 people, depending on the phase of the project.
Most recent order?
The substation for Norther, Belgium’s largest offshore wind farm, connecting up 44 wind turbines to generate enough annual energy for about 350,000 households. Norther alone will represent a 1.5% increase in the renewable energy available in Belgium. Construction will begin in 2018 with commissioning of the substation scheduled for the summer of 2019.
