Alstom Grid to supply Substation Automation Solutions for three UK offshore wind farms

Alstom has been awarded substation automation contracts for three of DONG Energy’s offshore wind farms. The systems will be fitted at the Race Bank project off the Norfolk Coast, the Walney Extension in the Irish Sea and at the Burbo Bank Extension in Liverpool Bay. All three projects are currently at various stages of development.All projects will feature Alstom Grid’s DS Agile, the company’s next generation digital control system for smart substations. DS Agile’s advanced situational awareness features coupled with leading-edge MiCOM P40 Agile protection range will allow the customer to protect, monitor and control their assets. The DS Agile user-friendly operator interface gives access to key data through interactive dashboards, allowing efficient supervision of the health and performance of the equipment. It also permits operators to “zoom-in” and get valuable information, allowing them to pro-actively take decisions to mitigate issues and maximise energy flows from the wind farms.

Hervé Amossé, Alstom Grid Substation Automation Solutions Vice-President, said: “Alstom is offering DONG Energy a state of the art substation automation solution that will help them manage intermittent power flows in a flexible manner. With increasingly interconnected grids and electricity provided from various sources, Alstom’s leading edge substation automation system will help to better, and efficiently, bring the power to shore and into the local grid.”

The UK has potentially the largest offshore wind resource in the world and could contribute 15% of the European Union’s 20% renewable energy target. With a maximum capacity of up to 580MW, Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm could generate enough electricity to power 400,000 UK homes per year. The Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm has a maximum capacity of 660MW and will be located approximately 19km off the Cumbrian coast. Onshore construction has already begun at Burbo Bank Extension, which is rated at 258MW and located 8km off the UK coast in Liverpool Bay.