France: ABB to enable integration of French offshore wind parks

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won a contract worth around $25 million from the electrical transmission system operator RTE France to supply transformer products and services to create safe, reliable grid connections for ongoing offshore wind power projects that will help boost France’s renewable energy supply. The order was booked in the second quarter of 2015. ABB will supply nine 400-megavolt ampere (MVA) booster transformers to help regulate the voltage of power transmitted from four large-scale offshore wind projects being built at various points along the Atlantic coast of France. Deliveries are scheduled from 2017 to 2020.

The offshore wind plants are each in the 500-megawatt (MW) capacity range, and part of the French government’s plan to add 6,000 MW of offshore generation capacity by 2020. The energy produced would represent 3.5 percent of the country’s national energy consumption, while the overall goal is for 23 percent of France’s energy to come from a mix of renewable energy sources by 2020.

“ABB specialty transformers based on cutting-edge design and engineering technologies help maximize reliability and efficiency in vital grid connections, which are one of the target growth segments of our Next Level strategy,” said Markus Heimbach, head of ABB’s Transformers business, a part of the company’s Power Products division. “We are pleased to support RTE’s efforts to integrate more renewable energy into the French grid, contributing to a more sustainable world.”

ABB offers a complete range of power and distribution transformers designed for reliability, durability and efficiency. ABB is a major transformer manufacturer throughout the world and offers both liquid-filled and dry-type transformers as well as services for complete lifecycle support, including replacement parts and components.