The link 2 platform is Aibel’s second HVDC converter platform delivery to Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore windfarm located 160 km off the Yorkshire coast and 120 km off the Norfolk coast in the UK. It is the single largest offshore wind project in the world and is expected to produce enough energy to meet the average daily needs of over 3 million UK homes.
Both platforms for the Hornsea 3 project are designed and constructed following Aibel and Hitachi Energy’s proven concept with a lean design and a steel jacket structure. Engineering, procurement and project management was primarily performed in Asker with support from Haugesund and Thailand. Construction has taken place at Aibel’s yard in Thailand before final outfitting, completion and commissioning in Haugesund. While the Link 1 left Haugesund earlier in spring this year, the Link 2 platform was picked up in Haugesund at the end of August. Heerema Marine Contractors’ heavy-lift vessel Sleipnir transported the platform to the Hornsea zone, where it is now successfully installed.
“It is always a bit sad, when these major constructions leave the yard, and the project comes to an end. At the same time, it is a very proud moment. Throughout the entire project, the team across all our locations has delivered to the highest standards, including within HSSE. Link 2 is a solid proof of how far Aibel and Hitachi Energy has come with our HVDC concept and our execution model,” says Aibel’s project director for Hornsea 3, Are Bjørkgård.
A global leader in HVDC
The Hornsea 3 Link 2 platform is Aibel’s seventh HVDC delivery to the European offshore wind market. Aibel hereby consolidates its global leadership in this segment.
“We were early movers when we signed the first contract for the DolWin beta platform in 2011, and with the recent deliveries of three platforms to Dogger Bank Windfarm, the DolWin epsilon platform, and now two platforms for Hornsea 3, we’ve positioned ourselves as a global leader within offshore wind HVDC platforms,” explains Liv-Runi Syvertsen, EVP Offshore Wind in Aibel, and continues:
“One of the keys to our success has been the development of our lean 320 kV concept that has challenged conventional converter station design through simplification and standardization. The result is lower complexity, reduced weight, improved operability, and a more repeatable delivery model. And now we use the same principles to shape the next generation of 525 kV HVDC platforms,” says the EVP.
In recent years, Aibel has also made investments to expand its Thailand capacity, infrastructure and logistics for efficient delivery of future HVDC platforms. Despite the fact that the offshore wind market in recent years has experienced volatility, with setbacks in European auctions and halted developments on the US east coast, Aibel still sees a bright future as major developers and European TSOs maintain ambitious plans and that HVDC adoption is accelerating due to wind farms being built farther from shore.
Published 30 September 2026
