Powering the Renewable Energy Transition: ITL Current Transformers for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

Powering the Renewable Energy Transition: ITL Current Transformers for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

Supporting reliable electrical measurement and protection for one of the UK's major offshore wind projects.
The transition to renewable energy depends not only on generating wind power, but also on the advanced electrical infrastructure needed to transmit it efficiently and reliably.
Instrument Transformers Limited (ITL) is proud to supply current transformers for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm's onshore and offshore HVDC converter station infrastructure to UK Grid Solutions,, a long-term customer, supporting a landmark renewable energy development off the north-east coast of England.
With a generating capacity of 1.4 GW, Sofia represents a significant investment in the UK's renewable energy future. Its advanced high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system is designed to transport electricity from offshore wind turbines to the national electricity network.

Sofia Offshore Wind Farm: Engineering at scale

Located on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, about 195 km off England's north-east coast, Sofia comprises 100 offshore wind turbines, an offshore converter platform, and extensive subsea and onshore cable infrastructure.
The wind farm's electrical system uses HVDC technology to transmit the generated power over long distances. At the offshore converter platform, electricity is converted from 66 kV alternating current (AC) to 320 kV direct current (DC) before being transported to shore. The onshore converter station then converts the electricity to 400 kV AC for connection to the National Grid.
At this scale, individual electrical components' performance matters. Reliable measurement and protection equipment is essential to the wider systems that manage power flows, monitor electrical conditions, and respond to faults.

The role of current transformers in HVDC converter stations

Current transformers are essential to electrical measurement and protection systems across the power industry.
They provide scaled representations of primary current, allowing compatible instruments, protection relays and monitoring equipment to measure electrical conditions safely and accurately.
In demanding converter station and high-voltage applications, select current transformers to meet the installation's specific requirements, including current ratings, accuracy, secondary burden, insulation coordination, and protection performance.
Dependable current measurement supports several important functions:
  • Electrical protection: Providing current signals to compatible protection systems to help detect abnormal operating conditions.
  • System monitoring: Supporting the measurement of current in electrical circuits and associated equipment.
  • Operational reliability: Contributing to the effective operation of the wider electrical installation.
  • Equipment integration: Providing measurement interfaces suited to the requirements of the connected switchgear, control and protection systems.
In a complex renewable energy project such as Sofia, these functions form part of the wider electrical engineering framework that enables generated power to be transmitted to the grid.

ITL: Specialist current transformer manufacturing since 1973

Based in East Kilbride, Scotland, Instrument Transformers Limited has more than five decades of experience designing and manufacturing current and voltage transformers for the electrical power industry.
Our product portfolio serves a broad range of applications, from low-voltage current measurement to demanding medium-voltage and specialist high-current requirements.
With primary current ratings ranging from 1 A to 30,000 A, ITL develops transformer solutions for a wide range of electrical installations and customer specifications.
Our capabilities include:
  • Application-specific engineering: Developing current transformer designs to meet defined electrical and mechanical requirements.
  • High-current applications: Supporting demanding measurement requirements across the power industry.
  • Manufacturing expertise: Combining established transformer manufacturing knowledge with ongoing investment in production capabilities.
  • Customer collaboration: Working with customers and equipment manufacturers to establish appropriate technical specifications.
This experience enables ITL to support the diverse requirements of modern electrical infrastructure, where component selection, manufacturing quality and compatibility with the wider installation are essential considerations.

Supporting renewable energy infrastructure

The growth of offshore wind is driving continued investment in transmission systems, converter stations and high-voltage electrical equipment.
As projects scale up and move farther offshore, the engineering requirements for power transmission become increasingly demanding. Reliable electrical measurement remains fundamental to monitoring and protecting these systems. ITL is proud to contribute its current transformer manufacturing expertise to the Sofia project. Our involvement reflects the important role that specialist electrical equipment manufacturers play in supporting the infrastructure behind the UK's renewable energy ambitions.
From wind farm connections to substations, switchgear, and power system protection, ITL works with customers across the electrical power industry to deliver current transformer solutions for demanding applications.

Looking for current transformers for renewable energy projects?

Whether you are developing offshore wind infrastructure, specifying converter station equipment, or designing high-voltage switchgear and protection systems, ITL can help you identify a current transformer solution that meets your requirements.
Contact Instrument Transformers Limited today to discuss your next project.
Visit www.itl-uk.com to discover more about our current transformers, voltage transformers and specialist instrument transformer manufacturing capabilities.
ITL — Engineering transformer solutions for the power industry since 1973.
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