Siemens Energy and consortium partner Prysmian Cables & Systems have been awarded an order worth approximately EUR 87 million by Thanet Offshore Wind Ltd. to connect the Thanet offshore wind farm to the British power grid. Generating enough electricity to power over 167,000 homes, the wind farm with an installed capacity of 300 MW will be constructed in the North Sea, 11 km off the coast of Kent, the wind farm will have its connection to the grid ready for operation in the summer of 2009.

As part of the grid connection for the Thanet offshore wind farm, Siemens is constructing an offshore substation platform which will be the world’s largest to date and the first with more than one power Transformer. A 33/132-kV substation with two 180-MVA power transformers will be installed on this platform. Prysmian will supply two three-phase 132-kV high-voltage subsea cables to transport the electrical power to the grid connection point, a new high-voltage switching station, which will be built by Siemens in Richborough, Kent.

As well as housing the transformers, the substations will include high-voltage and medium-voltage switchgear with the necessary protection and control technology. There is also an auxiliary system with emergency power supply on the platform. The substation platform will concentrate the energy generated by the wind farm and boost the voltage from 33 kV to 132 kV for transmission to shore.

Siemens is equipping the substation, which will act as the grid connection point on the coast, with a system for reactive-power compensation based on SVC (Static Var Compensator) technology. The reactive-power compensation system fully meets the requirements of the British power supply system (Grid Code). It provides the necessary power factor correction and improves the voltage quality. Siemens also carried out the design studies for all electrical components of the wind farm necessary for the grid connection, as well as the network studies for verifying compliance with the grid code.