Siemens is upgrading the frequency converters for Bard 1

August 18, 2026

Source: E & M powernews

Ocean Breeze Energy will gradually modernize the frequency converters of its 80 wind turbines at Bard 1 in the North Sea starting in 2026. Siemens will ensure the continued operation of the turbines.

Ocean Breeze Energy GmbH, the owner and operator of the Bard Offshore 1 wind farm in the North Sea, has awarded Siemens AG a contract worth several million euros to modernize the frequency converters. The retrofit of the new Siemens drive modules is scheduled to begin in late 2026 and will be carried out in phases through 2032.

Bard Offshore 1 is located approximately 100 kilometers off the German coast and comprises 80 wind turbines with a total capacity of 400 MW. The wind farm went into operation in 2013 as Germany’s first commercial offshore wind farm. The frequency converters are among the key components of the wind turbines. They ensure that the electricity generated by the generator is conditioned for feed-in to the power grid. The technology used to date dates back to the wind farm’s construction phase.

New Development for Continued Operation

According to Ocean Breeze Energy, the reason for the modernization is the discontinuation of certain semiconductors, known as IGBTs. These power semiconductors reach the end of their availability after about 20 years. Ocean Breeze Energy and Siemens have therefore been working since 2023 on a solution that will allow the existing frequency converters to continue operating.

To this end, Siemens developed new power modules using modern semiconductor technology. The existing technology had to be comprehensively qualified and adapted to the new components. After about a year of development work, an initial test was conducted on an onshore wind turbine. Another year later, the project partners tested the solution under offshore conditions.

According to Ocean Breeze Energy, the solution now available goes beyond simply replacing the discontinued semiconductors. The new converter modules are designed to enable greater operational reliability and higher performance.

Joachim Arndt, Chief Technical Officer and Managing Director of Ocean Breeze Energy, explains that Siemens alerted the company early on to the phase-out of a key component. “Together, we have developed a solution to keep the BARD frequency converters in operation well into the late 2030s,” Arndt emphasized. With this, Ocean Breeze Energy aims to ensure the long-term operation of the 400-MW wind farm.

Ralf Bode, head of the Siemens Service Center in Nuremberg, emphasized that “testing confirms that the newly qualified converter modules meet the turbines’ requirements.” The modernization will take place in phases while the wind farm remains in operation. Ocean Breeze Energy aims to avoid having to take the wind farm offline for a comprehensive, simultaneous retrofit. The new modules are scheduled to be installed in the 80 wind turbines in stages starting in late 2026.

Author: Susanne Harmsen