BalWin1 and BalWin2 are grid connection systems operated by transmission system operator Amprion, which feed electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea into the German transmission grid. An important component of these systems are two offshore converter platforms, each with a capacity of 2000 MW. They convert the alternating current from the offshore wind turbines into direct current, which is more suitable for transmission over long distances. One challenge in the design of the platforms is that they must be able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of the North Sea.
Amprion has appointed TÜV SÜD as Owner’s Engineer to supervise the construction of the converter platforms for the two offshore grid connection systems BalWin1 and BalWin2. The contract covers the production monitoring of the individual components of the platforms at several locations around the world. This includes, for example, monitoring the production of large components at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, monitoring the production of the support structure at Aker Solution in Verdal, Norway, monitoring the assembly of the platforms at Dragados Offshore in Cadiz, Spain, and monitoring the commissioning of the platforms on the high seas.
“We are proud that Amprion has once again awarded us a contract for such a complex project and has expanded its scope, demonstrating its confidence in the quality of our work,” says Sebastian Holtz, the project manager responsible at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. Sebastian Holtz’s team has extensive experience with offshore wind farms and transmission grids and is present in many countries through TÜV SÜD’s global network, including Germany and Spain.
Official production start for BalWin1 and BalWin2 was on June 10, 2025, at Dragados Offshore in Cadiz and on June 12, 2025, at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.
Further information on TÜV SÜD’s services in the field of wind energy can be found at tuvsud.com/windenergy.
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