GE Vernova Inc. (GEV) has announced the expansion of its existing manufacturing facilities in Stafford, UK. The expansion is aimed at supporting the fast-growing demand for High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems that will help power renewable energy projects throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, while also supporting the UK’s energy transition.
The expansion focuses on two key sites of its Electrification Systems’ Grid Solutions business in Stafford:
Stafford HVDC Facility at Redhill – HVDC and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) valves: This facility is anticipated to double its valve manufacturing capacity to support the growing demand for HVDC systems with the installation of an additional Voltage-Sourced Converter (VSC) valve assembly line. The valves, considered the “heart” of an HVDC converter station, enable the optimal transmission of power from offshore wind farms and other renewable energy sources to the grid.
Stafford Transformer Facility at Lichfield Rd – HVDC converter transformers: This site will undergo significant upgrades to boost capacity and enhance its ability to produce HVDC converter transformers, critical for integrating renewable energy into the grid. Transformers produced at this site have recently been installed in the North Sea to support the 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm.
This expansion marks GE Vernova’s second major round of investment in its Stafford site. In 2018, the company constructed one of the world’s most advanced HVDC valve test facilities and a control system testing facility, which now supports large-scale testing and validation of HVDC systems for projects across Europe and beyond.
As part of this expansion, GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business expects to have created around 600 new jobs in the UK from 2023 to the end of 2025, including hundreds of engineers and skilled craftsmen to support the assembly and testing of the valves.
