Hitachi Energy will provide onshore and offshore grid connection and power quality equipment for ScottishPower Renewables’ 960MW East Anglia 2 (EA2) offshore wind project.
For EA2 (picture of EA1 offshore wind farm), which is located 32km off the Suffolk coast of eastern England, Hitachi Energy will supply equipment that will help ensure reliable and stable power supplies from intermittent offshore wind.
The agreement includes Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eXpand, offshore grid connection equipment, and onshore grid connection equipment that use its gas-insulated switchgear.
The Grid-enSure power quality solution SVC Light STATCOM will also play a key role in using power electronics and advanced control systems to ensure reliable, flexible, and stable power despite the intermittent nature of wind power.
“Connecting the clean, green generation from our turbines to the grid is a vital part of any renewables project and it’s great to be in such capable hands with Hitachi Energy for East Anglia TWO,” said ScottishPower Renewables’ managing director for offshore Ross Ovens.
“This £4bn wind farm will have the capacity to power almost one million homes with green electricity and will help drive the country forward on its clean energy mission.
“We can only achieve that by partnering with leading companies like Hitachi Energy and we look forward to working together to make that happen.”
Managing director, business unit grid integration, at Hitachi Energy Niklas Persson added: "We are proud to work with ScottishPower Renewables to accelerate the clean energy transition.
“Integrating bulk renewables such as wind power is critical to accelerating the energy transition and is also an effective and long-term solution to decarbonize power.
"We are playing our part in integrating renewables and enabling Europe to become the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050."