Siemens Energy

Siemens Energy delivered the onshore HVDC converter station scope for the BritNed interconnector between Great Britain and the Netherlands. Under a turnkey contract with BritNed Development Ltd., Siemens designed the complete HVDC transmission system and engineered the two land-based converter stations at Isle of Grain in Kent and Maasvlakte near Rotterdam. Siemens supplied key converter equipment including thyristor valve assemblies, converter transformers, smoothing reactors, protection and control systems, and AC filters, and carried out installation and commissioning of both stations. This work formed a core part of the construction phase leading up to BritNed’s commercial operation in 2011 and provides the AC/DC conversion necessary for 1,000 MW power transfer between the two national grids.