Vattenfall completes first foundation installation for 980MW Nordlicht I in Germany

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Vattenfall has completed the installation of the first monopile foundation for the Nordlicht I project approximately 85 kilometers north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea, marking the start of offshore construction for what the company claims is Germany's largest offshore wind project. The entire Nordlicht cluster consists of two independent projects, Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II, with installed capacities of approximately 980 megawatts and 630 megawatts respectively. Once fully operational, they are expected to generate around 6 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. Both wind farms are scheduled to be connected to the grid in 2028, positioning the project as a key contributor to supporting Europe's fossil-free energy expansion and enhancing energy security and competitiveness.

The offshore installation work is being carried out by DEME, with the monopiles manufactured by EEW Special Pipe Constructions in Rostock and the transition pieces produced by CSWind in Aalborg. Nordlicht I requires a total of 68 monopile and transition piece foundations, with each monopile measuring up to 80.5 meters in length and weighing 1,290 tons—a length nearly equivalent to a standard football field.

In terms of sustainability, Vattenfall plans to use wind turbine towers partially made from low-emission steel in this project, thereby reducing the project's full lifecycle carbon footprint by approximately 16%.