Offshore Wind and the European SupergridJoe Corbett, Head of Technical Services Mainstream Renewable Power

Representing: Friends of the Supergrid

Offshore Wind Installations 2010

Source: EWEA http://www.ewea.org/index.php?id=1861

Offshore Generation Location up to 2010

Foundation Design Evolution

Offshore Research

• Hywind – Spar Type Floating Foundation Norway 200m Statoil

• Blue H – Tension Leg Platform (TLP) Netherlands 100m

• Windfloat – Semi Submersible Portugal 40m

• Offshore Wind Accelerator Carbon Trust + 8 Developers Wind Analysis Electrical and Foundation Design Operation and Maintenance

Offshore Trends

Turbine Size Trend Source EWEA Principle Power’s Windfloat

Design

• Move Offshore

• Single European electricity market

• Security and sustainability of supply

• Carbon neutral Europe by 2050

Why the Supergrid?

Supergrid Phase 1 – Design Drivers

• Offshore Wind

25-30 GW 2020 in the North Sea (UK, Germany, Belgium)

• UK Network Congested

• North Germany – High Wind Penetration

• Hydro balance capability

TUOS : 1,55 - 4,67 c/kWh

Socialised: 0.23 c/kWh

Supergrid Phase 1 - Cost

Project Financing: €28 billion (2010 value) 30 % RoE 6 year building time, 40 years of operation 23GW of Wind Generation Connected Capacity factor:

40% - if the wind alone trades on the system 90% - when wind and other energy/service providers use the network

Technology Today (2015):

• HVDC – VSC 1 GW Losses < 1.5%

• HVDC Cables XLPE – 300kV MI (Oil) – 500kV

Supergrid Technology (2015):

• The SuperNode – Hybrid AC/DC Design

• HVDC based on VSC (Voltage Source Converter) technology

Technology Developments• Improved Converter Design

<<< Losses >>> Power

• Cable >>> XLPE Voltage Capability

• Multi-Terminal Wide Area Control System

• System Dynamics Inertia Fault Performance

• DC Switchgear

• Onshore Transmission GIL Superconductivity

Policy and regulatory aspects at a glance

• Master Plan: Entso-e

• One Operator: ISO

• One Grid Code: Entso-e

• One Regulator: ACER

www.friendsofthesupergrid.eu

Thank you for your attention