Hitachi Energy and Larsen & Toubro accelerate Europe’s grid expansion

Hitachi Energy and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have been awarded the Nederwiek3 and LanWin5 projects under their multi-year framework agreement with transmission system operator TenneT. The initiative involves deploying high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission links to transport 4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power from the North Sea to onshore grids in the Netherlands and Germany.

Context of the Cooperation
Expanding electrical grid capacity and accelerating clean power integration across Europe requires expanding offshore transmission infrastructure. Managing high-power electricity transmission from offshore North Sea wind farms to mainland electricity networks introduces technical challenges in grid stability, conversion efficiency, and long-distance power loss.

To overcome these engineering and logistical hurdles, cooperation was established between technology developer Hitachi Energy and engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Building on their joint delivery of the Nederwiek1 and IJmuiden Ver Alpha projects, the consortium combines Hitachi Energy’s HVDC power conversion technology with L&T’s engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) capabilities. The contracts represent the third and fourth projects awarded to the partners under TenneT’s 2 GW Program.

Technical Solution and Responsibilities
The technological solution consists of two independent HVDC links—Nederwiek3 and LanWin5—each engineered to transmit 2 GW of renewable electricity at a operating voltage of 525 kV. Responsibilities are allocated between the consortium partners to separate power conversion hardware from physical offshore infrastructure:

At a system level, the HVDC links transform alternating current (AC) generated by offshore wind turbines into direct current (DC) for high-efficiency, long-distance transmission to shore, where onshore converter stations convert the energy back into AC for grid distribution. According to Niklas Persson, CEO of Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration Business Unit, combining energy and digital systems through scalable solutions and project synergies supports TenneT in accelerating offshore wind deployment in the North Sea. S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman & Managing Director of Larsen & Toubro, noted that developing robust offshore transmission networks is critical to integrating renewable energy at scale while supporting long-term energy security.

Deployment or Implementation
The implementation strategy focuses on connecting offshore wind generation sectors directly to onshore transmission hubs in Northwestern Europe. Under the deployment plan, Nederwiek3 will connect to an onshore converter station in Geertruidenberg in the south of the Netherlands, while LanWin5 will deliver power to Lower Saxony in Germany. Combined, the two links will supply electricity equivalent to the demand of approximately 4 million households.

The projects are architected to support future multi-terminal grid evolution and cross-border interconnectivity. A primary objective includes integrating Nederwiek3 into the British electricity grid via the proposed LionLink interconnector, forming a multi-purpose interconnector that links European and UK energy markets. This framework builds on concepts demonstrated by Europe’s multi-terminal HVDC VSC interconnection, the Caithness Moray Shetland project, providing an infrastructure baseline to evolve offshore transmission links into interconnected multi-terminal energy hubs.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.