TenneT and GE Vernova Seatrium consortium celebrate IJmuiden Ver Beta strike steel

The ceremony marked the start of construction of platform IJmuiden Ver Beta,  one of the first Dutch 2GW grid connection projects. The high voltage direct current (HVDC) offshore converter platform will connect the IJmuiden Ver Beta windfarm and will be installed in the Dutch North Sea in 2028. In 2023, TenneT selected the GE Vernova Seatrium consortium to supply the offshore HVDC platforms for the 2GW Maasvlakte cluster.

GE Vernova is responsible for the advanced 2GW HVDC system and consortium partner Seatrium will engineer and manufacture the platform. Under the framework agreement the GE Vernova Seatrium consortium has been awarded three Dutch projects (IJmuiden Ver Beta, IJmuiden Ver Gamma and Nederwiek 2) that will be connected to the high voltage grid at Maasvlakte (Rotterdam).

Jessie van der Linden, Associate Director Large Projects Offshore (2GW):

'After years of preparation engineering and procurement in a challenging time, it is a great pleasure to see that the IJmuiden Ver Beta platform will now begin to take physical shape. It is a memorable and proud moment as it is also the very first 2GW platform of which at least 12 are to follow in the next years.'

 

Mr Samuel Wong, Executive Vice President, Seatrium Energy (Fixed Platforms), said: 'after almost 18 months of  engineering and procurement work, we are pleased to commence the first steel fabrication milestone for the construction of the first offshore HDVC platform for TenneT, working closely with our partner, GE Vernova. We have taken time to prepare meticulously for this project through detailed engineering work, which will enable us to achieve greater operational synergies for subsequent projects.'

'We are excited about the start of construction of the IJmuiden Ver Beta platform. This marks a major milestone in TenneT’s innovative 2GW Program. Together with our consortium partner Seatrium, we look forward to helping accelerate the expansion of the European offshore grid, which is critical to the continent’s climate neutral goals,' said Johan Bindele, Grid Systems Integration Business Line Leader at GE Vernova.

Once commissioned in 2029, the grid connection will deliver 2GW of electricity from the wind farm IJmuiden Ver Beta in the North Sea.The high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system will connect the windfarm off the Dutch coast  with the high voltage grid on land. The wind power produced offshore will be transported as alternating current to the offshore converter platform, using a 66-kV connection: the wind farm will be connected directly to the offshore platform. The converter station converts the alternating current into direct current. The electricity will be transported via a 155 kilometres long innovative 525 kV cable connection to the onshore converter station at Amaliahaven (Maasvlakte). Here the electricity is converted back into alternating current and fed into the high voltage grid via the converter station. Due to the distance and the power to be transported, direct current is ideal for low-loss transport. 

Our innovative 2GW Program plays a crucial role in managing the energy transition from offshore and will help Europe become the world's first climate-neutral continent. This new standard combines our extensive expertise in offshore grid connections with a unique transnational approach. With its strong focus on harmonisation and standardisation, it provides a blueprint for future offshore grid connection systems and enables faster deployment. At the same time, the larger capacity of two gigawatts per system reduces the number of grid connections required. The 2GW Program sets a new pace for the European energy transition. It will provide Europe and its inhabitants with more green energy in a safe and cost-effective way - with the lowest possible environmental impact.