RWE has completed installation of all 44 wind turbine foundations for its Nordseecluster A offshore wind project, marking a key phase in construction of the 1.6 gigawatt development in the German North Sea. The work was completed ahead of turbine installation, which is scheduled to start in summer 2026, with full commissioning of Nordseecluster A planned for early 2027.
The Nordseecluster is located around 50 kilometres north of the island of Juist and is being built in two stages: Nordseecluster A with 660 megawatts and Nordseecluster B with a further 900 megawatts due to enter commercial operation in 2029. Together, the projects are expected to generate enough green electricity to meet the annual needs of approximately 1.6 million German households.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, said completing the foundation phase for Nordseecluster A was “a key step” in delivering what he described as the largest offshore wind project currently under construction 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,” he said.
Each monopile foundation is around 85 metres long and weighs on average 1500 tonnes. The foundations were stored at the Dutch port of Eemshaven before being transported to site on Van Oord’s installation vessels Boreas (for monopiles) and Aeolus (for secondary steel structures such as boat landings and access platforms). RWE opted for extended single monopiles with secondary steel fitted offshore rather than a separate transition piece, reducing the total amount of steel required.
Offshore construction on Nordseecluster A is described as on schedule. Alongside the turbine foundations, the monopile for one of the project’s two offshore substations has already been installed; the second substation foundation, a jacket structure, is due to be in place by the end of this year, with both topsides to follow in 2026. Around 70 kilometres of internal array cabling are planned to be laid early next year.
Nordseecluster is a joint project between RWE, which holds 51%, and Norges Bank Investment Management with 49%. RWE is responsible for construction and long-term operation of the wind farms.
