Ørsted Receives Planning Approval for 900 MW Offshore Wind Farm in Germany

Ørsted has received planning approval for its Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).

The construction of the 900 MW project, located 53 kilometres off the island of Borkum, will be carried out in parallel with that of the 242 MW Gode Wind 3 offshore wind farm, for which BSH issued planning approval earlier this year. Gode Wind 3 is expected to start commercial operation in 2024 and Borkum Riffgrund 3 is planned to follow suit the following year.

Final investment decisions for both projects are still pending and are expected to be made by the end of 2021.

Borkum Riffgrund 3 will comprise 83 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines and, with the capacity of 900 MW, will be Ørsted’s largest offshore wind farm in Germany as well as the largest offshore wind farm in in the country.

The wind farm will be half-owned by the investment company Glennmont Partners, following an agreement signed earlier this week.

The developer has already secured several Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) for Borkum Riffgrund 3, including a CPPA with Amazon and most recently with the REWE Group. 

Borkum Riffgrund 3 emerged as one single project in 2019, after Ørsted combined Borkum Riffgrund West 1, Borkum Riffgrund West 2 and OWP West, for which it was awarded subsidy-free development rights in the offshore wind auctions in 2017 and 2018.