PAPENBURG (dpa-AFX) - In the biggest crisis in its history, the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg wants to open up a new business segment and enter into the construction of converter platforms for offshore wind farms. The steel construction of the planned DolWin delta converter platform is scheduled to start firing at the shipyard today (from 2 p.m.), as announced by the grid operator and client Amprion. According to the information provided, this is the first converter platform to be manufactured in Germany for many years.

The electricity grid operator Amprion had commissioned the Spanish company Dragados and Siemens Energy to build a total of four converter platforms in 2022. The consortium then engaged Meyer Werft, which is known for its cruise ships, as a subcontractor.

Converter platforms are large technical installations that stand on firmly anchored piles in the sea. They are used to convert the alternating current produced by the wind turbines into direct current. The converter platforms, which weigh several tons, are considered a key industrial component for the German government's ambitious expansion plans for offshore wind energy. Production capacities for this are scarce.

According to the German Offshore Wind Energy Association (BWO), the construction of converter platforms involves orders worth millions. "I very much welcome the fact that the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg will be another location for the construction of converter platforms in Germany," BWO Managing Director Stefan Thimm told the German Press Agency. "This is important in order to ensure value creation and employment here in Germany, to keep transport routes short and to reduce dependencies on international supply chains."/eks/DP/zb