Bremerhaven: Construction of converter platforms?

Offshore wind farms require the energy from the wind turbine generators (alternating current) to be transported via cables under the sea and then converted to direct current on land at the point of generation - as this is significantly less lossy over long distances. This conversion takes place in very voluminous converters that are anchored deep in the ground on high stilts near the wind farms, standing above the waves. These platforms, measuring an impressive 70 x 30 x 30 metres in length/width/height, are located around 20 metres above the surface of the water and reach up to 60 metres into the ground with their anchoring.

Converters in Germany

Such platforms are currently only produced in Spain and mainly in Asia. However, a consortium centred around the Lloyd shipyard in Bremerhaven now wants to fill this gap in Europe. In addition to the Lloyd shipyard of the Rönner Group, half of which is owned by Rönner and 25% each by the Zech Foundation and the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen, the consortium also includes companies such as Siemens Energy. Clients for the construction of converter platforms for Germany are operators of high-voltage electricity grids such as TenneT, Ampirion, 50-Hertz and Transnet-BW.

Sylwin Alpha" converter. Photo: TenneT

No small matter

If you then consider that a platform costs between two and two and a half billion to build and that Germany needs around twenty of these units to be climate-neutral by 2045 using green energy from offshore production in the North and Baltic Seas, then the regional construction of converters represents a billion-euro business.

Dimension comparison

The dimension of the converter construction in terms of turnover and employment in the region becomes clear when the costs for the construction of a cruise ship of just under one billion euros are compared. However, the Rostock-Warnemünde site is also under discussion for the construction of the platforms, as confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Economics. However, it is still unclear whether both locations will be chosen. Financing and the provision of guarantees for these construction sums over longer construction periods is also an unresolved issue, as Bremen, as a small city state, is unable to cope with these dimensions. However, these are questions that are worth thinking about boldly and not remaining a small state.

Especially as there is still a considerable need for converters at European level.