All monopile foundations for the wind turbines have been installed at Nordseecluster A, the first phase of the 1.6 GW Nordseecluster offshore wind development in Germany, owned by RWE and Norges Bank Investment Management.
Each of the 44 monopile foundations measures approximately 85 metres in length and weighs an average of 1,500 tonnes.
Before installation, the foundations were in interim storage in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. From there, they were shipped on Van Oord ’s offshore wind installation vessels Boreas (monopiles) and Aeolus (secondary steel) to the construction site at sea, where they were installed.
Rather than using foundations topped with an overlapping separate transition piece, extended single monopiles were installed, and secondary steel structures, which include the boat landing, the main access platform, and the internal cassette, were fitted to them offshore.
“The completion of the foundation installation marks a key step towards implementing our 1.6-gigawatts Nordseecluster, which is currently the largest offshore wind project off the German coast. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the RWE team, Van Oord, and all the other companies and partners who contributed to this success,” said Sven Utermöhle n, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind.
According to RWE, the offshore works on the 660 MW Nordseecluster A are proceeding as scheduled.
In addition to the wind turbine foundations , the monopile foundation for one of the two offshore substations located at the wind farm has already been laid. The second jacket foundation is planned to be installed before the end of this year. The two substation topsides will follow in 2026.
Preparatory soil investigations are currently being carried out ahead of the installation of the wind farm’s internal cabling. Around 70 kilometres of cables are expected to be laid early next year, with turbine installation set to start in summer 2026.
Featuring 44 Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines, Nordseecluster A is planned to be fully commissioned in 2027. The second stage, Nordseecluster B, will contribute an additional 900 MW through its 60 wind turbines, which will commence commercial operation in 2029.
RWE is responsible for the construction and operation of the Nordseecluster offshore wind farms throughout their entire life cycle.
LinkedIn X Google News