Wind Energy – Nordseecluster
Around 50 kilometres north of the island of Juist, the Nordseecluster is taking shape – a joint offshore wind project between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%).
(Credit: RWE / Photographer: Matthias Ibeler).
A ‘wedding’, as the successful installation of a substation onto its foundation is known, has now been celebrated at the offshore construction site.
This special event could be witnessed twice in recent days, as the two substations of the Nordseecluster A, each around 40 metres long and 22 metres high, were successfully installed. One topside weighs around 1,800 tonnes, the other around 2,500 tonnes.
Tobias Keitel, Chief Technology Officer RWE Offshore Wind: “I would like to thank everyone involved in implementing our 1.6-gigawatt Nordseecluster, which is significantly expanding RWE’s offshore wind portfolio and making an important contribution to a sustainable and reliable energy system. At the ‘double wedding’, the two heaviest components were installed – a visible sign that we are making excellent progress with the work at sea. We will begin installing the first turbines this summer. The first phase of the Nordseecluster will be fully operational from 2027.”
The journey of the two substations began in Saint-Nazaire, France, on the premises of the manufacturer Chantiers de l’Atlantique. They were transported across the North Sea, a journey lasting about a week, before being placed on their foundations by the floating heavy-lift crane Gulliver.
The foundations had already been installed at the end of 2025.
(Credit: RWE / Photographer: Matthias Ibeler).
Nordseecluster A will be connected via two separate grid connections, which is why two offshore substations are required. The electricity generated by the wind turbines of Nordseecluster A will be fed into the two substations, where it will be stepped up to the required transmission voltage. From there, the electricity will be transmitted to the grid operator’s converter station and then transported to the mainland.
The offshore works on Nordseecluster A are proceeding well with foundation installation completed at the end of last year, cable-laying within the farm currently underway and installation of the 44 wind turbines to begin in summer 2026.
After full commissioning at the beginning of 2027, Nordseecluster A will have a total capacity of 660 megawatts (MW). The second expansion stage, Nordseecluster B, will contribute an additional 900 MW through its 60 wind turbines, from the beginning of 2029. Manufacture of several components has already begun.
At the end of March, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency granted planning permissions for Nordseecluster B – a key prerequisite for work at sea to begin next year. The Nordseecluster will be able to generate enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of around 1.6 million German households. RWE is responsible for the construction and operation of the offshore wind farms throughout their entire life cycle.
