The technology group Wärtsilä signed in January a contract with Babcock International Group plc to design and build a number of switchboards and distribution boards for the world’s first offshore reactive compensation station, a vital part of transmitting to shore the electricity produced sustainably by the offshore wind farm.
The Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm is currently under construction at Babcock Rosyth in Scotland. Upon completion, the wind farm, operated by DONG Energy, will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Wärtsilä will supply the Wärtsilä Low voltage switchboards for the world’s first offshore reactive compensation station.
Wärtsilä UK Ltd specialises in the design and build of switchboards and control systems for the power generation and renewable energy markets. The company’s switchboards are designed to withstand harsh offshore conditions, enhancing the reliability of the installation.
The reactive compensation station enables the high voltage AC system to work with cable lengths longer than those previously used for offshore wind, and will be located between the offshore wind farm and shore.
Hornsea Project One is located 120 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast in Northern England and will span an area of approximately 407 square kilometres. Work to construct the reactive compensation station is ongoing and is set to be completed by engineering support services company Babcock in 2018. It is expected to be operational in 2020.
“Babcock is delighted to be working with Wärtsilä on this project. It is an important member of our supply chain, and its switchboards and distribution boards will play an important role in the successful delivery of the world’s first offshore reactive compensation station being built at Babcock Rosyth for the wind farm,” says Ian Donnelly, Managing Director of Babcock’s Rosyth site.
Wärtsilä supports the renewable energy sector
Hornsea Project One, when operational, will have a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts, making it the world’s largest offshore wind farm. It will produce enough clean green electricity to power the equivalent of well over 1 million UK homes.
“Our Electrical & Automation business has long held a reputation for designing and building high quality switchboards. We are particularly well-known in the marine and oil & gas sectors globally, and have been actively expanding our customer base. The award of this contract together with other recent successes in the hydro-electric industry demonstrates our ability to support the renewable energy sector,” says Andy Dickinson, Managing Director of Wärtsilä UK Ltd.
The technology group Wärtsilä announces that it has closed the acquisition of Greensmith Energy Management Systems Inc., a market leader in grid-scale energy storage software and integrated solutions. The companies announced the acquisition in May following a year-long global cooperation on stand-alone energy storage and hybrid energy solutions.
In 2016, Greensmith’s revenue was USD 32 million with over 40 employees. The transaction is valued at USD 170 million (enterprise value). Greensmith will operate as a business unit within Wärtsilä Energy Solutions providing both stand-alone energy storage as well as hybridized energy systems, control software, and integration expertise.
The acquisition will enable Wärtsilä to rapidly expand its footprint in the energy storage market globally and position itself as a premier energy system integrator. Growth in the energy storage market is expanding from the United States to new regions including the United Kingdom, Asia and Australia. When Wärtsilä engine plants are further optimized with energy storage, new sources of value can be offered to customers and partners. Also, the growing capacity of renewable generation, including solar PV, becomes more sustainable and attractive when integrated with advanced energy storage.
“The acquisition of Greensmith positions Wärtsilä as a global leader in energy system integration and hybrid solutions”, said Javier Cavada, President of Wärtsilä Energy Solutions. “Greensmith brings an unmatched track-record of software and systems integration capabilities, having delivered a third of all 2016 energy storage installations in North America. Wärtsilä’s global footprint with an extensive sales and service network, besides its proven EPC expertise, will create significant synergies and growth.”
As a proven energy storage solutions and software company, Greensmith has integrated and installed over 60 grid-scale systems including an 80MWh turn-key system recently deployed in California in under 4 months to address a capacity emergency. The company provides a full range of capabilities – from full turn-key solutions to design and integration services and a fifth generation software package (GEMS) that today supports multiple energy and power applications. Since 2013, Greensmith has also deployed five grid-scale systems in the PJM frequency regulation market (Pennsylvania, Jersey, Maryland power pool), the world’s largest wholesale market, and serves a growing number of independent power producers, investor-owned utilities, and engineering procurement and construction companies around the world.
“The Greensmith team is excited and honored to become an integral part of Wärtsilä, a global leader in energy solutions”, said John Jung, Greensmith President & CEO. “With the accelerating growth in the energy storage market, as well as, the need for more integrated, intelligent hybrid energy solutions – the timing could not be better.”
