Wind power: RWE to build offshore wind farms with a capacity of 1.6 GW off Juist
The energy company RWE plans to install a good 100 wind turbines off Juist in two phases by the beginning of 2029.
(Image: RWE)
RWE will build more wind farms in the North Sea. The Energiekonzern has now approved the investments for the offshore project Nordseecluster. It is to be built in two phases around 50 kilometers off the North Sea island of Juist with a total capacity of 1.6 GW, which could supply 1.6 million households with electricity, or 6.5 terawatt hours per year.
(Image: RWE)
Construction of North Sea Cluster A is scheduled to begin next year. By the beginning of 2027, 44 wind turbines with a total output of 660 MW should be connected to the grid. A further 60 turbines with a capacity of 900 MW are to be added to North Sea Cluster B by the beginning of 2029. Suppliers for the main components have already been selected for the entire cluster and some components are already being manufactured, RWE announced.
Project partners
Atlantique Offshore Energy, the marine energy division of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, is supplying two offshore substations for the new wind farms. Hellenic Cables has selected RWE to manufacture the cables. The foundations for the wind turbines will be manufactured by Dajin Offshore and installed at sea by Van Oord. Vestas will supply the V236-15.0 MW wind turbines, each with a capacity of over 15 MW. Havfram Wind will transport and install the wind turbines using the installation vessels "Norse Wind" and "Norse Energi".
RWE currently operates six wind farms in the North Sea. The Group has commissioned a total of 19 offshore wind farms over the past 20 years. RWE is aiming to increase its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 GW today to 10 GW in 2030.
According to the consulting firm Deutsche Windguard, almost 1,600 offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 8.5 GW were in operation in Germany at the end of 2023. In that year alone, 27 wind turbines with 257 MW were added. The Offshore Wind Energy Act stipulates that at least 30 GW of wind power capacity will be installed offshore by 2030 and at least 75 GW by 2045.
"Tailor-made energy solutions"
According to the Group, it does not have to pay any rent to the Federal Network Agency for the other sites. RWE intends to use the electricity generated there to offer its industrial customers "tailor-made energy solutions", which increasingly include operators of AI data centers, according to a press release. In the past, for example, RWE has agreed electricity supply contracts with the mobile communications group Vodafone.
In2023, the German Federal Cartel Office warned RWE not to violate the ban on abuse with its market behavior on the electricity market. There is a "strong indication" that it would be highly problematic if the company were to artificially reduce the supply of electricity. However, the Federal Network Agency has not yet made a formal decision in individual cases as to whether RWE dominates the market.
(anw)
