Vestas to supply turbines for German offshore wind cluster

Renewables

Germany – Vestas has been chosen by RWE and Northland Power as the preferred vendor for the 1.6 GW Nordseecluster cluster, which consists of four offshore wind farm sites in the German North Sea.

North of the island of Juist, installation of a minimum of 104 Vestas offshore wind turbines (Type: V236-15.0 MW) with a 15 megawatt (MW) capacity per turbine is planned. There will also be a service contract for the wind turbines. The final funding decision for each phase (A and B) of Nordseecluster will affect all deliverables.

Two phases

Construction of the Nordseecluster will occur in two stages: The application stage for two wind farms (N-3.8 and N-3.7) with a combined capacity of 660 MW is presently underway. With commercial operation beginning in early 2027, turbine installation at sea is anticipated to begin in 2026. 44 of the 104 Vestas turbines are set aside for this initial phase (Nordseecluster A).

A additional 900 MW of capacity will be added by the two wind farms (N-3.6 and N-3.5) of the second phase (Nordseecluster B). Like they did in 2021 for the sites N-3.8 and N-3.7, the partners intend to bid and use their step-in rights for both sites in the German government’s offshore wind auctions this year. Nordseeclsuter B’s offshore construction work is expected to start in 2028, and commercial operation will start in 2029.

Use of synergies

A joint venture to build the Nordseecluster was established last year by RWE (51%) and Northland Power (49%) While planning, building, and operating the four wind farm sites, the partners want to significantly reduce costs and take use of synergies. The most recent preferred supplier agreement (PSA) with Vestas, which covers all four projects, is evidence of the effectiveness gained through grouping tasks like procurement.

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