AUMA electric actuators are increasingly being deployed on offshore converter platforms providing high voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) for wind farms. Approximately 150 AUMA SQ part-turn actuators with intelligent AC actuator controls ensure reliable valve automation on the BorWin gamma converter platform in the North Sea, for example. AUMA will also supply actuators for the DolWin kappa platform that is currently under construction. Both offshore platforms are owned by TenneT, one of the leading transmission system operators in Europe.
Valve actuators on HVDC converter platforms are mainly required for cooling systems that remove heat from the converter electronics. As all the equipment must operate in an isolated marine environment, often 100km or more from the coast, AUMA actuators are ideal for such a challenging task: their robust design and durable components ensure that they can operate unattended for long periods and with minimal maintenance.
Offshore customers benefit from the company’s full service portfolio, and an AUMA service technician recently travelled by helicopter to the BorWin gamma platform to retrofit additional interfaces. The service technicians are available worldwide and besides being experts in AUMA technology, have completed all the relevant safety training that qualifies them to work offshore.
