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The first turbine foundation has been installed at Nordseecluster A, the first phase of the 1.6 GW Nordseecluster offshore wind development in Germany.
The monopiles were shipped from the heavy-lift terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, to the construction site in the German North Sea by Van Oord’s new offshore installation vessel Boreas .
Four monopiles can be loaded in one shipment. Each monopile foundation, delivered by China’s Dajin Heavy Industry, measures 85 metres in length and weighs approximately 1,500 tonnes.
Rather than using a monopile foundation topped with an overlapping, separate transition piece, extended single monopiles are installed, and secondary steel structures, such as boat landings, are fitted offshore. This TP-less design reduces the total amount of steel needed, according to RWE.
The Nordseecluster project will be constructed in two phases. Van Oord has kicked off monopile installation for the 660 MW Nordseecluster A, with its vessel Boreas installing the first turbine foundation .
“With the 1.6-gigawatt Nordseecluster we together with our partner Norges Bank Investment Management are delivering what is currently the largest offshore wind project off the German coast. Installing the first monopile is a significant milestone for the entire team, following years of planning and preparation,” said Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind.
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Installation of the 44 Vestas V236-15.0 MW wind turbines is expected to start in 2026, with commercial operation beginning in early 2027.