Power networks operator TenneT claimed to have wrapped up “Europe’s largest ever tender for energy transition infrastructure” after its deals for offshore wind grid connections ballooned to €30bn ($33bn).

TenneT on Thursday signed agreements with three consortia over transmission equipment and infrastructure that will move power to shore from 28GW of wind projects across the German and Dutch North Sea.

Netherlands-based TenneT had already announced massive deals with consortia comprising GE/Sembcorp, Hitachi Energy/Petrofac and GE/McDermott, and added contracts with a partnership of Siemens Energy and Spain’s Dragados Offshore.

The energy technology group and Spanish engineer will between them deliver three German North Sea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grid connection links – BalWin3, LanWin2, and LanWin4 – each of 2GW.

TenneT claimed the scale of the green power involved across the contracts would help Europe deliver on the EU’s objective of achieving more energy independence via renewable energy.

“The result will be a transmission capacity of offshore wind energy in the German and Dutch North Sea that will generate as much electricity as 28 large-scale power plants.”

Recharge’s sister title Upstream revealed after the first tranche of contracts was announced that Chinese companies had been barredby the Dutch government from the part of the tender relating to its waters.