Made up of the jacket, which is piled into the seabed itself, and the topside, which sits above, the massive structure will play a vital role in transforming clean power from the offshore wind turbines ahead of the long journey back to shore in the UK.
The Offshore Converter Station towers 70m above sea level or 1.2 times the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The installation marks the culmination of a global effort and four years of work from Ørsted and its partners, Aibel, Hitachi Energy and their subcontractors. Heerema Fabrication Group designed and fabricated the jackets at their yard facilities in Vlissingen, Netherlands, whilst the topside was built in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, before sailing more than 13,000 nautical miles to Haugesund, Norway for the installation and commissioning of high voltage equipment. Its journey to the Hornsea 3 offshore site is now complete with the topside having been welded to the supporting jacket. Heerema Marine Contractors were responsible for the transport and installation.
Luke Bridgman, Managing Director, Hornsea 3 at Ørsted, said:
“The installation of this Offshore Converter Station is a major milestone for Hornsea 3, and a great example of what detailed planning, strong collaboration and disciplined execution can achieve. It reflects the technical expertise of our team and contract partners, and a clear, unwavering focus on safety at every stage.”
“2026 has got off to a great start for Hornsea 3.”
