Production of the DolWin delta converter platform began today at MEYER WERFT with the symbolic start of steel cutting. DolWin delta is the first converter platform to be manufactured in Germany for many years. This marks another important step in MEY-ER Group's entry into the new offshore business segment.
DolWin delta is the first of four converter platforms that MEYER WERFT is manufactur-ing in large part on behalf of Dragados Offshore. The end customer and subsequent operator is the German transmission system operator Amprion. The first steel parts, which will subsequently be welded into sections, were cut at the traditional start of steel cutting.
"We are delighted to build the steel sections for the converter platforms here in Pa-penburg and are proud to be making a key contribution to the energy transition. We will be using the laser hybrid welding process that we have established at our shipyard. It is being used for the first time in the construction of DC platforms and impressively demonstrates how we can transfer our expertise to other maritime sectors. Accordingly, this order is an important milestone for us in the expansion of our product portfolio and the development of Neptun Smulders," explains Dr Jan Meyer, Chief Business Innova-tion Officer of the MEYER Group.
"The commissioning of Meyer Werft with the production of steel structures for four off-shore converter platforms shows that it is possible to create new production capacities for the energy transition in Germany. Companies like Meyer Werft are thus proving that they have learnt the lessons from crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, are posi-tioning themselves more broadly in the future and are thus making an important contri-bution to the success of the energy transition," says Dieter Janecek, Federal Govern-ment Coordinator for the Maritime Economy and Tourism.
"In order to achieve the ambitious expansion targets, we need significantly more pro-duction capacity than before. Amprion alone will realise ten more offshore grid connec-tions," says Peter Barth, Managing Director of Amprion Offshore GmbH. "DolWin delta is the entry of German shipyards into the offshore market. The cooperation with Draga-dos Offshore and Meyer Werft provides positive impetus for the German economy," adds Dr Carsten Lehmköster, Managing Director of Amprion Offshore GmbH together with Barth.
Amprion Offshore GmbH commissioned Dragados Offshore and Siemens Energy to build the platforms around two years ago. The consortium awarded parts of the produc-tion to Meyer Werft at the end of 2023. The scope of work for the production of plat-form components at Meyer Werft amounts to around 43,500 tonnes of steel. Of this, around 11,500 tonnes will be used to manufacture sections for the DolWin4 and Bor-Win4 projects. For the BalWin1 and BalWin2 offshore connections, the figure is around 32,000 tonnes.
The DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore grid connection systems
The DolWin4 and BorWin4 offshore grid connection systems, which run largely in paral-lel, are among the most important energy transition projects in Germany. Amprion uses direct current technology for the lines, which allows large amounts of energy to be transported with low losses. Converter stations are required to convert alternating cur-rent into direct current and vice versa. DolWin4 and BorWin4 are scheduled to go into operation in 2028. The underground cables will run from the North Sea wind farms to the Hanekenfähr substation in Lingen (Ems), where Amprion will connect them to its transmission grid.
