Northern Lights Monopile Installation (Credit: DEME)
Vattenfall has started offshore construction of its Nordlicht offshore wind cluster in the German North Sea with the installation of the first monopile for the Nordlicht I wind farm.
The achievement marks the start of a key offshore construction phase for the Nordlicht cluster, which it described as Germany’s largest offshore wind project.
The installation was carried out by DEME, which is responsible for transporting and installing the foundations and transition pieces for the Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II projects. The monopiles are being 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 meters long and weighs up to 1,290 tones.
“With the installation of the first monopile, Nordlicht is visibly taking shape in the waters of the North Sea. It’s an important step forward for Vattenfall and at the same time a meaningful contribution to the energy transition, strengthening energy security and competitiveness in Europe. Projects of this scale require precise planning, strong partnership across the supply chain, and a clear focus on safety and execution. Seeing the project take shape offshore is a proud moment for the entire team,” said Cyril Moss, Project Director Nordlicht at Vattenfall.
The Nordlicht offshore wind cluster is located around 85 kilometers north of the island of Borkum and consists of the 980 MW Nordlicht I project and the 630 MW Nordlicht II project.
Vattenfall said Nordlicht II is planned to follow around one year after Nordlicht I.
Both wind farms are scheduled to become operational in 2028 and are expected to generate around 6 terawatt hours of electricity annually once fully commissioned. The projects will feature turbine towers partially made with low-emission steel, reducing their overall carbon footprint by around 16%.
