First Wind Turbine Installed at Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm, Borkum Riffgrund 3

20 June 2024,

The first wind turbine has been successfully installed at the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm, set to be Germany’s largest with a capacity of 913 MW. Once operational, this will mark the world’s first offshore wind farm awarded without subsidies, made possible through long-term corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) with major industrial and technology companies. The project is a joint venture between Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure.

This milestone for Borkum Riffgrund 3 comes shortly after the successful delivery of the first power from the 253 MW Gode Wind 3 Offshore Wind Farm, also constructed by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure. Together, these projects will nearly double Ørsted’s total installed capacity in Germany, significantly advancing the country’s green energy transformation. The Borkum Riffgrund 3 wind farm is expected to be fully operational by 2025.

Ørsted is currently undertaking its largest construction pipeline, with approximately 7.6 GW of offshore wind projects under construction worldwide. This includes the 2.8 GW Hornsea 3 in the UK, the world’s largest single offshore wind farm. Recently, Ørsted also celebrated the installation of the first foundation at the 704 MW Revolution Wind project off the US East Coast.

Peter Obling, Head of Continental Europe at Ørsted, highlighted the project’s groundbreaking nature, stating, “Borkum Riffgrund 3 is an icebreaker in offshore wind. It was the first project awarded on a merchant basis and the first in Germany to surpass 900 MW. The installation of the first turbine is a proud moment for us.”

Jordi Francesch, Managing Director of Renewable Energy Investments at Nuveen Infrastructure, added, “We are thrilled to be at the forefront of Germany’s decarbonization efforts. The installation of the first turbine at Borkum Riffgrund 3 is a testament to our capability to manage large-scale projects that drive the energy transition.”

Felix Gschnell, Programme Director for Borkum Riffgrund 3 and Gode Wind 3, praised the team’s efforts, “The first turbine installation is a significant achievement. Our focus remains on safely completing the project on schedule.”

The installation was carried out by the vessel ‘Seaway Ventus’ from Seaway 7, with further installations to be managed by ‘Wind Osprey’ from Cadeler. The wind farm will feature 83 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW, situated approximately 72 km off the Lower Saxony coast and spanning 75 km².

Ørsted’s innovative approach includes a new connection concept for Borkum Riffgrund 3, which will forego an offshore substation. Instead, the turbines will connect directly via 66 kV cables to the DolWin epsilon offshore converter platform managed by TenneT, the German transmission system operator.

The farm’s revenue model is supported by CPPAs with major companies, including Amazon, BASF, Covestro, REWE Group, and Google, securing long-term price stability for both Ørsted and its customers.