ABB wins $20 million order for innovative offshore wind transformers

ABB has won an order of more than $20 million from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind to supply reliable, energy-efficient and compact WindSTAR transformers, which are designed for installation in wind turbines.

Borssele III and IV comprise the second phase of the Borssele wind farm. This phase constitutes a 731 megawatt (MW) wind project in the North Sea, 22 kilometers off the coast of The Netherlands and will be capable of providing enough clean energy to power more than 800,000 households.

ABB will supply its innovative WindSTAR power transformer, which is specifically designed to fit into the tower of a wind turbine. This transformer enables a new generation of powerful offshore wind turbines to operate at the world’s highest voltage of 66 kilovolts (kV), which significantly reduces losses and increases efficiency. It also brings lifecycle benefits and cost optimization.

“These innovative transformers facilitate the integration of offshore wind energy bringing clean power to consumers and reinforcing our position as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid,” said Markus Heimbach, Managing Director of ABB’s Transformer business unit, a part of the company’s Power Grids division. “ABB is a leader in the wind industry, providing components to turbine manufacturers and enabling the connection of wind farms to the grid.”

As turbine size increases for offshore (reaching 9.5 MW in this project, a world record power level for commercial offshore wind), transformers must remain compact and lightweight with a minimal footprint, while also meeting specific application needs, mechanical structural constraints and costs.

ABB pioneered transformer technology in the 1890s and has since been at the forefront of record-breaking innovations including the world’s highest voltage HVDC converter transformer and AC transformer at 1.1 and 1.2 million volts respectively. As the world’s largest transformer manufacturer and service provider ABB has an unparalleled global installed base and a vast portfolio of power, distribution and special application transformers.