ABB Receives Major Order for Power Transformers from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind

Zurich, Switzerland - ABB’s Power Grids business has been selected by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind to deliver its Windstar transformers to the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm, located 33 kilometers off the east coast of England.

As ABB points out, the company’s high performance power transformers are designed to fit inside the wind turbine and can withstand strong vibrations, sudden movements and variable electrical loading, typical of wind power. This lightweight transformer is energy efficient and made with biodegradable and safe ester insulation fluid. MHI Vestas will deliver 90 wind turbines for the wind farm and ABB’s transformers will be installed in each turbine.

“As one of the leading global wind turbine manufacturers, the transformers we use in our offshore wind turbines are some of the most valuable and critical components that we purchase,” said Robert Slettenhaar, VP Head of Procurement at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind. “Maintenance at sea is extremely challenging, so the transformers have to be as reliable as possible, as well as light-weight and compact. For Triton Knoll, we have selected ABB as a supplier and have worked together to develop the Windstar transformers to meet our demand for high quality and performance.”

ABB’s Windstar transformers support energy efficiency by increasing the voltage to 66 kilovolts (kV), the highest voltage category for wind transformers. This higher voltage enables larger, more powerful wind turbines resulting in lower electricity losses and a more cost-effective wind farm. ABB has recently won three more orders for similar Windstar transformers for important offshore wind projects by MHI Vestas Offshore Wind: Moray East, Scotland; Borssele 3 & 4 windfarms, the Netherlands; and Windfloat Atlantic in Portugal. The latter is a floating, offshore wind project.

Source: IWR Online, Feb 02 2020