German transmission system operator 50Hertz has awarded a consortium comprising Siemens Energy and Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables (NSORe) a contract to construct a converter system for the offshore grid connection project North Sea Connector 2, according to Splash247. The turnkey delivery includes system design, component procurement, construction, installation (both onshore and offshore), and commissioning. The onshore converters will be built at a new substation near Schwerin, in the municipality of Mühlenbeck, which will serve as the future endpoint of the NordOstLink HVDC connection between the North Sea coast and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Project Scope
North Sea Connector 2 comprises the offshore grid connection LanWin6 and the DC link DC32, both part of the NordOstLink corridor. The offshore converters are to be installed in the North Sea, approximately 200 km west of the island of Sylt, and will connect future offshore wind farms to Germany’s electricity grid. Siemens Energy is responsible for the high-tech components, including transformers, switchgear, and converters for converting alternating current into direct current. NSORe, a joint venture between Neptun Werft and Belgian steel construction company Smulders, will manufacture the topside of the offshore platform, which will house those components. The jacket foundation will be produced by Smulders at its own shipyard in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.
Construction and Jobs
The majority of construction and fabrication will take place in Rostock. According to 50Hertz CEO Stefan Kapferer, these contracts will create more than 500 new long-term jobs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania among the companies involved and their suppliers. The contract foresees commissioning of North Sea Connector 2 by the end of 2034.
Second Project
Negotiations have also been initiated with NSORe for another converter platform of the same scale, the North Sea Connector 1 offshore grid connection system. Key components for that project are also to be manufactured in Rostock-Warnemünde and Vlissingen. Should this contract be awarded, the two projects combined would amount to a total volume for NSORe of around €2.5 billion. 50Hertz had already commissioned Siemens Energy in 2024 to supply high-voltage technology for North Sea Connector 1, which consists of the offshore grid connection system LanWin3 and the DC link DC31, both part of NordOstLink.
Comparison of the Two Projects
| Feature | North Sea Connector 2 | North Sea Connector 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore grid connection | LanWin6 | LanWin3 |
| DC link | DC32 | DC31 |
| Onshore converter location | Mühlenbeck near Schwerin | Mühlenbeck near Schwerin |
| Consortium awarded | Siemens Energy & NSORe (contract signed) | Siemens Energy (high-voltage tech in 2024); negotiations with NSORe ongoing |
| Combined volume (if both awarded) | €2.5 billion for NSORe | €2.5 billion for NSORe |
| Commissioning timeline | End 2034 | Not specified |
“This demonstrates that domestic shipyards are now capable of offering competitive bids for the construction of offshore platforms. We are also confident that we will soon conclude the negotiations for the second converter project, thereby providing Rostock and Neptun Werft with a further positive outlook,” Kapferer said.
The award marks a significant step for Germany's offshore wind expansion, directly enabling the integration of future wind farms into the national grid. For commodity traders and energy analysts, the accelerated build-out of HVDC infrastructure signals growing demand for high-voltage equipment and specialized maritime engineering services, though the project timeline extends to 2034.
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