Vinci wins major North Sea wind energy contract

Vinci has announced that it has been awarded a contract to build and install offshore platforms, to convert energy from North Sea windfarms into direct current electricity.

An illustration of one of the North Sea converter platforms. Image: Vinci

Vinci says the contract, awarded by German transmission system operator Amprion Offshore, has a “high triple digit million euro” total value.

The project calls for Dragados Offshore – a subsidiary of renewable energy specialist Cobra IS – and Siemens Energy, to construct the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) platforms to connect several windfarms to the German grid.

Dragados Offshore is a subsidiary of Cobra IS, which was acquired by the Vinci group at the beginning of the year. The company has also been awarded two similar HVDC projects, which are currently underway.

The North Sea converter platforms will be manufactured at Dragados Offshore’s facility in Cadiz, Spain, with work expected to continue until 2027.

By 2028, it is anticipated that the platforms will be delivering up to 1.8GW of electricity to onshore stations, some 280km away. From there, it will supply the grid with enough electricity to power a major city, such as Hamburg, home to some 1.8 million people.