The energy transition is like a gigantic puzzle consisting of many thousands of pieces. All the pieces - be it wind turbines, power lines or reserve power plants - have to fit together. Hardly anyone talks about the "converter platforms" piece of the puzzle, but it is a crucial part of the energy transition puzzle. Because without converter platforms, the wind turbines in the huge offshore wind farms would be useless. They convert the energy generated by the wind turbines so that it can be transported on land. An even smaller, but no less important piece of the puzzle on these giants: Rolls-Royce emergency generators.
Offshore wind farms are set to become one of the cornerstones of Europe's energy supply. The idea has charm: far out at sea, where the wind blows constantly and strongly, electricity is to be generated in huge wind farms. There are currently wind turbines with a total capacity of 28 in European waters; according to EU plans, this figure is set to rise to 60 gigawatts by 2030 and even 300 gigawatts by 2050.
Converter platforms are at the heart of offshore wind farms
At the heart of every wind farm are the converter platforms. These are the size of apartment blocks and are full of high-tech. Their task is to bundle the electricity produced on the high seas and convert it from alternating current to direct current so that it can be sent ashore by cable. This is because wind turbines generate alternating current. However, this could only be transported ashore with major losses. This is why gigantic converters are needed. These consist of various components such as transistors, diodes, capacitors and coils. Once on land, the electricity is then converted back from direct current to alternating current.
According to the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation, 140 offshore converter platforms will be needed in Europe in the coming years in order to achieve the expansion targets. Cost per platform: 2.5 billion euros. An expensive piece of the puzzle.
Small but crucial piece of the puzzle: emergency power generators from Rolls-Royce
And even if everything on these platforms revolves around electricity, they still need an emergency genset. On many of the platforms currently being built, it is an mtu genset from Rolls-Royce. They generate electricity on the platform if the main power supply fails. They then ensure that control and monitoring systems continue to run and that the lighting and other safety-critical systems do not fail. They also supply power to keep important system components cooled and ventilated to prevent damage from overheating. In extreme cases, the emergency power generators enable the systems to be shut down and restarted in a controlled manner to prevent damage.
