RWE To Build 1.6 GW Wind Farm Off German North Sea

RWE has made the investment decision for its Nordseecluster, involving offshore wind projects with a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts (GW). The wind farms will be built in the North Sea, about 50 kilometres north of the island of Juist. Suppliers of the main components have already been selected for the cluster as a whole.

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Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind said, “Our portfolio already includes six offshore wind farms off Germany’s coastlines. The Nordseecluster will add two more. This sends out a good signal for the energy transition in Germany and for RWE. With a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts, these wind farms will generate around 6.5 terawatt hours of green electricity per year. This will contribute in particular to the decarbonisation of industry in our home market.”

The Nordseecluster is being implemented in two phases – Nordseecluster A and B. Nordseecluster A has a total capacity of 660 MW. Manufacturing of some key components has already started. Construction at sea is scheduled to begin next year. By the beginning of 2027, all 44 wind turbines shall be connected to the grid. Nordseecluster B will add a further 900 MW of capacity. The 60 turbines are scheduled to start commercial operation from the beginning of 2029.

For the Nordseecluster locations, RWE is not required to pay any lease payments to the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). The cluster's size will benefit RWE by creating synergistic effects during the building and later operation of the wind farms. RWE will provide its industrial clients with tailored energy solutions to help them on their journey toward decarbonization by utilising the green electricity produced by wind farms. Operators of AI data centers are becoming more and more of these customers.

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RWE is one of the top offshore wind players in the world. The firm has operated 19 offshore wind farms, including six off the coast of Germany, in the last 20 years. RWE aims to increase its offshore wind capacity threefold from its present level of 3.3 GW globally.