France: A French consortium made up of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, France Energies Marines, Fondation OPEN-C, GE Vernova, Nexans, RTE and SuperGrid Institute has launched the RHODÉ research and development project focused on floating HVDC technology for deepwater offshore wind farms.
The project is aimed at preparing for the first deployment of 320 kV and 525 kV floating HVDC grid connections in France from around 2040 onwards. It will develop and test key technologies needed for future high-capacity floating HVDC systems, including transformers, gas-insulated substations, offshore AC/DC converter stations and dynamic HVDC cables.
As part of the initiative, the partners plan to design two floating substation concepts rated at 320 kV and 525 kV.
The consortium said the work will support offshore wind development in areas located more than 100 m deep and far from the coast, where traditional fixed-bottom infrastructure may be less suitable due to technical and economic limits.
The RHODÉ project includes engineering design, numerical simulations, laboratory testing, environmental assessments, hydrodynamic basin trials and offshore demonstration activities.
The project has received $18.5 M (€16 M) in funding from the French State under the France 2030 programme, managed by ADEME.
Source: offshoreWIND.biz
