Alstom Grid has won contracts to deliver substation automation solutions for three offshore wind farms in the UK that are currently at several stages of development.
The systems will be deployed at the 580MW Race Bank project off the Norfolk Coast, the 660MW Walney Extension in the Irish Sea off the Cumbrian coast, and the 258MW Burbo Bank Extension in Liverpool Bay.
Alstom Grid’s DS Agile digital control system will be used at all the three projects, which are being developed by Dong Energy.
The company said the system helps in protection, monitoring and control the performance of the equipment.
They provide vital information through interactive dashboards to address any issues which helps in maximizing energy flows from the wind farms.
Alstom Grid Substation automation solutions vice-president Hervé Amossé said: "Alstom is offering DONG Energy a state of the art substation automation solution that will help them manage intermittent power flows in a flexible manner.
"With increasingly interconnected grids and electricity provided from various sources, Alstom’s leading edge substation automation system will help to better, and efficiently, bring the power to shore and into the local grid."
Planned to be built in the Greater Wash area, about 27km off the east coast of Britain, the Race Bank wind farm will deliver enough energy for over 400,000 homes a year.
The Walney Extension offshore wind project will be developed in two phases, each with a capacity of 330MW.
The extension project is located about 19km off the English east coast, next to the 367MW Walney offshore wind farm.
After completion, both the Walney wind farms will generate enough electricity for more than 800,000 households.
The extension facility, which is anticipated to be commissioned in 2017, will be located next to the existing 90MW Burbo Bank wind farm sited on the Burbo Flats in Liverpool.
Upon completion, the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm will generate enough energy for about 180,000 households.
Image: Alstom said the UK could contribute 15% of the European Union’s 20% renewable energy target. Photo: courtesy of DONG Energy.