Leading resistor manufacturer Cressall has been awarded contracts to supply resistors for five major high-voltage direct current (HVDC) projects in the North Sea. The HVDC systems will be built by GE Vernova with consortium partners Sembcorp (Seatrium) for Netherlands and McDermott for Germany. The projects will support transmission system operator TenneT’s aim to connect 28 Gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power in the German and Dutch North Sea as part of the 2GW Program.
Cressall has secured contracts to supply resistors for Ijmuiden Ver Beta and Gamma, Balwin 4, Lanwin 1 and Nederwiek 2, at a value of £2 million per project. The HVDC system will support 2GW of energy transmission with commissioning expected to be completed by the end of 2031.
HVDC supports the efficient transfer of power over long distances between offshore wind farms and the grid, due to its uniform current density. Resistor technology plays a key role in this HVDC system, providing protection against grid failure by absorbing the windfarm energy until transfer is safely switched off. In addition, protection is provided to the system using DC neutral earthing resistors both on and offshore on the HVDC convertor transformers.
“Cressall has extensive experience in providing resistors for power generation projects. Given the UK and the EU both aim to have net zero emissions by 2050, we are particularly excited to support the green energy transition by collaborating with GE Vernova and their consortium partners on these projects.” explained Mike Torbitt, Managing Director of Cressall.
Resistor technology can support a wide range of renewable applications, including solar and wind farms, biomass plants and tidal power. Cressall is an expert in resistor design and manufacture for renewable energy testing, generation and control.
To find out how Cressall resistors could support your renewable project, visit the website.
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