Vattenfall has installed the first monopile for Nordlicht I, located around 85 km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea, marking the start of offshore construction for what it describes as Germany’s largest offshore wind project. The Nordlicht cluster is expected to support Europe’s fossil-free power expansion and strengthen energy security and competitiveness.
Nordlicht consists of two separate projects – Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II – with capacities of about 980 MW and 630 MW, respectively. Once fully commissioned, the cluster is expected to generate around 6 TWh of electricity per year, with both wind farms scheduled to be operational in 2028.
The work is being carried out by DEME, while the monopiles are manufactured by EEW Special Pipe Constructions in Rostock and the transition pieces by CSWind in Aalborg. Nordlicht I will comprise 68 monopile and transition piece foundations. Each monopile is up to 80.5 metres long, making it almost as long as a football pitch, and weighs up to 1,290 tonnes.
As part of Vattenfall’s sustainability efforts, the project will use turbine towers partially made from low-emission steel, cutting the project’s carbon footprint by around 16%.
