GE Vernova, Seatrium to build TenneT BalWin5 HVDC link

GE Vernova and Seatrium have announced that their consortium has been awarded a TenneT contract to deliver a major part of the 2.2 GW BalWin5 offshore HVDC grid connection linking German North Sea wind farms to Germany’s onshore grid.

• Scope & timeline: GE Vernova’s Electrification Systems business will supply onshore and offshore converter stations, complete HVDC technology and control/protection systems, while Seatrium will design, construct, transport, and install the offshore converter platform in the German North Sea; works start 1 January 2026, with commissioning planned for 2032, and the system will transmit up to 2.2 GW via a 325 km sea and land cable between the offshore station and Bremen-Werderland, enough to power about 2.75 million households.
• Program context: This is the fourth project under the five-year Framework Cooperation Agreement with TenneT (announced March 2023) and the consortium’s first German 2 GW project; BalWin5 is part of TenneT’s BalWin series of large offshore grid connections using a 2+ GW standard to increase transmission capacity above typical ~900 MW links, improve infrastructure efficiency, and support Germany’s energy transition, energy security, and decarbonization goals.