At a glance
Ørsted partnered with Eviden to implement fast and secure mission-critical communications in 11 offshore wind farms worldwide.
Outcomes
- 11 offshore wind farms
- 6 GW clean energy
The Client
A global clean energy leader; Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities and bioenergy plants.
In 2008, Denmark-based Ørsted was one of Europe’s most coal-intensive power generators. That’s when it defined a radical new vision to switch from fossil fuel to renewable energy. With a new business model built for both environmental and financial sustainability, Orsted embarked on an 11-year path to becoming the world’s most sustainable energy company.
In 2017, Ørsted partnered with Eviden (then part of Atos) to provide comprehensive critical communications to offshore wind farms in Europe. Like Ørsted, Eviden is a sustainability leader in its domain: digital transformation. The two companies worked so well together, they expanded the relationship to the Asia-Pacific region in 2019 and to the United States in 2020.
Why communication is critical to offshore wind farms
Offshore wind farms are isolated and large — nothing but water and wind turbines as far as the eye can see. Take one of Ørsted’s sites as an example. The South Fork wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean, 35 miles (56 km) off the US coast, covers nearly 97,500 acres (39,456 hectares).
In normal circumstances, most offshore facilities depend on satellites for communications and data. But what if a storm damages a satellite dish or knocks out power? How do the workers stay in touch with each other, or with their loved ones at home? How is the wind farm’s sensitive data transmitted back to shore? Communications are critical from construction to daily operations because what-if scenarios like this tend to get real without much warning.
Why Eviden
As a next-gen technology leader in data-driven, trusted and sustainable digital transformation, Eviden supports the offshore wind industry around the world.
Critical communications across Ørsted’s value chain
Eviden delivers mission-critical communications throughout Ørsted’s value chain. The solution covers all phases of wind farm development and operation from engineering and design to installation, testing and commissioning — plus maintenance support.
The solution comprises six components:
- Mobile radio system
- Marine and aviation communication systems
- Marine and aviation tracking systems
- Microwave links
- Network management
- Voice dispatching systems
These six components together enable reliable and seamless high-speed communication that helps Ørsted optimize operational planning, efficiency, performance and control while at the same time enhancing safety and reducing downtime.
A partnership built on trust
This collaboration has led to numerous successful landmark projects worldwide. Notable examples span the globe:
- Germany: Borkum Riffgrund 2 and 3
- Taiwan: Greater Changhua
- United Kingdom: Hornsea 2 and 3
- United States: Sunrise, Revolution and South Fork
Being the change
Ørsted and Eviden share a commitment to decarbonization and environmental responsibility. Their partnership amplifies the impact of each company’s individual sustainability efforts. Ørsted gained a future-ready critical communications infrastructure, and Eviden is making green energy more secure. Together, they’re building the cleaner, brighter future they both want to see.
Related resources
Critical Communication Solutions for Offshore wind
From construction until the end of O&M phase, we cover the whole life cycle of your offshore wind farm.
Mitigating risks on offshore wind farms
Offshore wind capacity is growing constantly but includes some regulatory, security and resilience constraints.