HD Hyundai Electric ships Baltic offshore wind transformers

HD Hyundai Electric confirmed Sept. 17, 2026 that an offshore substation carrying its 275-kilovolt power transformers departed Vietnam for Poland's 1.5-gigawatt Baltica 2 offshore wind project.

The shipment completes manufacturing under a 79.2 billion won ($60 million) equipment supply contract signed in Copenhagen in June 2023. The units will step up voltage from 107 offshore turbines to send clean electricity ashore.

The voyage marks the first time a South Korean power equipment manufacturer has delivered high-voltage transformers for an operational European offshore wind substation. Representatives commemorated the sail-away during a ceremony in Vietnam on Sept. 12.

The electrical equipment left the PTSC Mechanical and Construction yard in Vung Tau aboard specialized transport barges. Two substation platforms are currently sailing toward the Baltic Sea, while two remaining units await towing after loading.

Danish engineering specialist Semco Maritime and Vietnamese state builder PTSC M&C lead the engineering, procurement and construction work. The consortium contracted HD Hyundai Electric to supply transformers and shunt reactors for all four platforms.

Shunt reactors — inductive components used to absorb excess reactive voltage along long subsea transmission cables — stabilize electrical frequencies. The offshore transformers raise power generated by turbines to high-voltage transmission levels before exporting it to land.

Baltica 2 is a joint venture between Danish renewable developer Ørsted and Polish state utility Polska Grupa Energetyczna, known as PGE. The 1.5-gigawatt development will supply electricity to roughly 2.4 million Polish households once connected.

The four offshore substations and their modular support frames weigh a combined 16,000 metric tons. Each five-story platform weighs about 3,500 metric tons and completed more than 720 onshore commissioning tests before departure.

The project sits 40 kilometers off the Polish coastline between Leba and Ustka. Subsea export cables will link the offshore stations to an onshore receiving terminal in the Choczewo municipality.

The delivery illustrates the widening presence of South Korean grid suppliers in European infrastructure programs. European utilities face severe component shortages as regional transformer builders struggle with multi-year order backlogs.

Lead times for extra-high-voltage transformers across Europe and North America currently exceed three to four years. Korean manufacturers have used reliable production schedules and integrated fabrication lines in Ulsan to secure international tenders.

HD Hyundai Electric has translated that delivery track record into expanding utility framework agreements across Northern Europe. The company secured a 140.4 billion won ($106 million) transformer contract with the British utility National Grid in July 2025.

That British contract included 11 eco-friendly transformers that substitute vegetable-derived synthetic ester oil for petroleum insulation fluid. Those biodegradable fluids reduce fire hazards in densely populated areas and sensitive marine environments.

European rivals like Siemens Energy and Hitachi Energy have committed capital to expand transformer production across Europe. However, new domestic factories in Europe require several years to reach full commercial production volumes.

The Baltica 2 deployment also highlights how Asian fabrication chains are absorbing complex European offshore engineering packages. PTSC M&C fabricated the topsides in Southeast Asia while sourcing core high-voltage electrical hardware from South Korea.

European offshore wind targets depend heavily on timely deliveries of substation modules. The European Union aims to install 300 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2050, requiring hundreds of specialized offshore converter platforms.

A shortage of high-voltage components and shipyard fabrication slots has delayed several North Sea projects. Maintaining strict manufacturing milestones in Vietnam allowed the Baltica 2 consortium to protect its installation calendar.

Offshore installation and cable connection work off the Polish coast is scheduled to begin in November 2026. The full 1.5-gigawatt Baltica 2 transmission system targets commercial commissioning by late 2027.

The announcement did not specify the exact maritime arrival date of the transport barges in Polish waters. Developers have also not published the testing timetable for final offshore electrical energization.

The barges are now navigating international shipping lanes under maritime transport charters coordinated by logistics contractors. Semco Maritime and PTSC M&C retain responsibility for offshore hookup and final site handover next year.