Chantiers de l'Atlantique Accelerates Expansion in HVDC Market
Chantiers de l'Atlantique, long known for its maritime engineering expertise, is rapidly establishing itself as a major player in the offshore electrical substation sector—especially in the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) market. Recent project wins, ongoing collaborations, and large-scale investments are propelling the company to the forefront of Europe’s energy transition.
In the last 18 months, the Saint-Nazaire-based shipbuilder has secured headline-making contracts. In May 2024, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, working in consortium with Hitachi Energy, won a €4.5 billion contract from French grid operator RTE to deliver three offshore HVDC platforms and three onshore converter stations. These will support the 1GW Centre Manche 1, 1.5GW Centre Manche 2, and 1GW Oléron Island wind farms, with each platform rated at 1.25GW—together integrating more than 3.5GW of green energy into the French grid. Installation is scheduled for 2029–2030. The Centre Manche platforms will be among the largest HVDC electrical substations ever built for offshore wind, with each substructure projected to weigh about 7,000 tonnes. Detailed design and fabrication work for these technologically advanced structures has been entrusted to SLPE and Smulders.
The company’s recent successes include its selection by RWE for the Nordseecluster A project in the German North Sea. Here, Atlantique Offshore Energy, the company’s energy division, will deliver two substations with a combined capacity of 660MW, integrating them into the grid via the DolWin 6 HVDC converter, with commissioning planned for 2026. This builds on previous work for RWE, including the Arkona substation in the Baltic Sea. In the French market, Chantiers de l'Atlantique has designed and manufactured substations for high-profile wind farms such as Dieppe–Le Tréport and Yeu-Noirmoutier. The Dieppe–Le Tréport installation, completed in July 2025, underlines the company’s industrial agility and capacity to support large-scale offshore deployments. Beyond engineering and installation, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is also involved in preventive maintenance, adding a layer of operational expertise that will benefit future French offshore wind farms.
To meet rising demand, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is doubling its production capacity for electrical platforms. This involves an investment of nearly €100 million in upgrading facilities, including the construction of a new paint cell and enhancements to its slipway lifting capacity, which will reach 1,400 tonnes. These investments reflect the firm’s strategic evolution from traditional shipbuilding towards becoming a leader in offshore energy infrastructure.
Chantiers de l’Atlantique leverages its modular fabrication approach, inherited from its shipbuilding heritage, to enable advanced integration and streamlined project management—key advantages when handling multi-gigawatt electrical platforms. The company’s project pipeline, which includes substations in Poland, Germany, and France, demonstrates its growing influence on Europe’s HVDC supply chain and its contribution to the continent’s decarbonization goals.
