AUMA electric actuators are increasingly being deployed on offshore converter platforms providing high voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) for wind farms. Approximately 150 AUMA SQ part-turn actuators with intelligent AC actuator controls ensure reliable valve automation on the BorWin gamma converter platform in the North Sea, for example. AUMA will also supply actuators for the DolWin kappa platform that is currently under construction. Both offshore platforms are owned by TenneT, one of the leading transmission system operators in Europe.
A converter platform turns the three-phase alternating current produced by offshore wind turbines into direct current for efficient transport to the mainland. The valve actuators are mainly required for cooling systems that remove heat from the converter electronics. As all the equipment must operate in an isolated marine environment, often 100 km or more from the coast, AUMA actuators are ideal for such a challenging task: their robust design and durable components ensure that they can operate unattended for long periods and with minimal maintenance.
Offshore customers benefit from AUMA’s full-service portfolio, and an AUMA service technician recently traveled by helicopter to the BorWin gamma platform to retrofit additional interfaces. AUMA service technicians are available worldwide who besides being experts in AUMA technology has completed all the safety training that qualifies them to work offshore.
