First Power From Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Using 15 MW Turbines
Germany’s largest offshore wind farm to date, EnBW’s He Dreith project, achieved key milestones as it proceeds with construction and provides encouragement for a somewhat beleaguered industry. The project generated and delivered its first kilowatt-hour of electricity on November 25 as it started the commissioning process for its turbines.
Peter Heydecker, EnBW Board Member for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure, called it a significant milestone for the company. He noted that the company has been planning, building, and operating offshore wind farms in Germany for 15 years, and it is now pushing toward the goal of having 80 percent of its generation portfolio consisting of renewable energies by 2028. At the same time, it expects to phase out coal-powered generation.
He Dreiht is also unique as it is the first to deploy the 15 MW turbines by Vestas. The company highlights that a single rotation of the rotor on the 15 MW wind turbine is enough to supply the equivalent of four households with electricity for a day. S&P Global writes that the turbine “could reshape offshore wind economics in the North Sea.”
At a hub height of 142 meters (466 feet), the rotor with a diameter of 236 meters (774 feet) sweeps through an area of 43,742 square meters per revolution. The company says this is equivalent to the area of six football fields and notes the dramatic advancement from the 2.3 MW turbines it installed at its first wind farm 15 years ago.
Nils de Baar, President of Vestas Northern and Central Europe, the wind turbine manufacturer, explains, “The 15 MW turbine is a world first in terms of technology, setting new standards in offshore wind power. Its efficiency and performance enable a significant increase in energy yield per turbine.”
The project is located approximately 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of Borkim in the North Sea and 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Heligoland. The project was awarded in a 2017 tender.
EnBW highlights that the total investment is projected at €2.4 billion and that it is proceeding without state funding. A partner consortium made up of Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management owns 49.9 percent of the shares in He Dreiht.
The company reports that internal wind farm cabling and the connections to the converter platform were completed in August. Currently, 27 out of the total of 64 wind turbines have been installed and are in the process of commissioning. EnBW expects that further turbines will begin to supply power gradually in the coming weeks.
While the project is slightly behind schedule, EnBW reports that full commissioning is set to be completed by the summer of 2026.