GE Vernova expands British transformer manufacturing capacity
GE Vernova’s Stafford facility. Image courtesy GE Vernova
US-based GE Vernova has announced the expansion of its existing transformer manufacturing facilities in Stafford, UK.
According to the company in a release, the expansion is aimed at supporting the fast-growing demand for 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.
The first site, Stafford HVDC Facility at Redhill, is anticipated to double its manufacturing capacity for HDVC and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) valves 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.
The second site, Stafford Transformer Facility at Lichfield Rd for HVDC converter transformers, will undergo upgrades to boost capacity and enhance its ability to produce HVDC converter transformers. Transformers produced at this site have recently been installed in the North Sea to support the 1.4GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm.
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Commenting in a release was Philippe Piron, CEO of GE Vernova’s Electrification Systems business: “By expanding our Stafford operations, we are strengthening our ability to support the energy transition in the UK and the rest of the world and creating new jobs as a result.”
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.
GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business recently signed an agreement to supply HVDC systems for five of TenneT’s offshore wind projects. These projects are part of the TSO’s goal to connect 40GW of offshore wind farms to the high-voltage grids in the Netherlands and Germany.
The valves and the transformers technology for these projects are planned to be manufactured at the Stafford facilities.
GE Vernova currently operates three manufacturing sites in Stafford.
In addition to the HVDC site and the Transformer site, it also has a grid automation site at Redhill.
Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, GE Vernova has 120 years of experience in the UK, with more than 30% of the UK’s electricity generation through its equipment.
Outside of Stafford, GE Vernova runs another major manufacturing facility in Rugby.
