Overview
The Sunrise Wind project was a landmark partnership between Siemens Energy and Ørsted and became New York State’s largest utility-scale offshore wind farm. With a capacity of about 924 megawatts, it delivered clean energy to more than 600,000 homes across Long Island. Central to the project was the Onshore Converter Station, which converted offshore wind power into electricity ready for the grid.
The Onshore Converter Station included three main buildings: the Converter Building, Storage Building, and Control Building. Together, they housed key equipment such as converter modules, reactors in the DC yard, circuit breakers in the AC yard, transformers, cooling systems, and other electrical infrastructure. The site also featured expansive underground electrical infrastructure distribution, access roads, parking, drainage, fencing, and lighting to support safe and efficient operations.
About the Project
LiRo-Hill provided comprehensive engineering design services for the Sunrise Wind Onshore Converter Station, including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire alarm, telecommunications, and security systems. The scope covered full site development, building design, and support structures for high-voltage equipment, all coordinated through complete BIM 3D modeling and document control.
LiRo-Hill’s architectural team provided the architectural design, including building envelope systems, fire safety and egress, and keying. LiRo-Hill worked hand in hand with outside consultants engaged by Siemens Energy that specialized in the high-voltage systems that convert offshore wind power into grid-ready electricity.
Mechanical services included HVAC and ventilation systems for all buildings and transformer enclosures, designed to manage significant heat loads while meeting requirements for pressurization, filtration, shielding, and noise control. Custom air handling units with N+1 redundancy, electric heating, and HEPA filtration were provided. The Control and Auxiliary Services Building housed the converter water cooling system, electrical and battery rooms, and operator spaces.
Electrical services included power and lighting systems for buildings, outdoor equipment areas, roadways, and the site, along with auxiliary power coordination, lightning protection, grounding, cable tray systems, and security infrastructure.
Fire alarm services covered complete system design for all buildings, incorporating control panels, notification devices, and advanced detection systems to support early response and safe shutdown.
Structural services addressed steel-framed building design and foundations for major equipment, lightning masts, and elevated cooling platforms. Civil services included site planning, environmental and zoning approvals, sewage disposal, stormwater management with on-site retention, water supply, and fire protection systems.
LiRo delivered fully coordinated BIM models across all disciplines, enabling system integration, clash detection, and efficient construction execution.
Project Challenges & Solutions
The Sunrise Wind Onshore Converter Station faced strict performance requirements established by Sunrise Wind and Siemens Energy, including high standards for efficiency, sustainability, environmental control, advanced monitoring, structural reliability, and full system redundancy. Meeting these demands required close coordination across multiple engineering disciplines to ensure continuous operation and prevent disruptions to power delivery across Long Island.
The project’s complexity went beyond typical industry standards. Custom equipment, innovative technical approaches, and rigorous operational criteria were required for one of the few operational offshore wind facilities in the United States. To address these challenges, LiRo-Hill applied specialized expertise and creative problem-solving to design and integrate advanced systems tailored to the project’s needs. These solutions not only met project requirements but also contributed to setting new benchmarks and advancing technologies for future offshore wind development nationwide.
Outcome
LiRo-Hill’s leadership and integration exceeded client expectations by delivering a high-performance, resilient, and future-ready converter station. Their proactive collaboration, technical expertise, and commitment to sustainability positioned Sunrise Wind as a national benchmark for offshore wind development. The Sunrise Wind Onshore Converter Station exemplified strong engineering, sustainability, and teamwork. Through innovative design and disciplined execution, LiRo-Hill delivered a facility that met performance demands and set a standard for future offshore wind infrastructure in the United States.
