Iberdrola has received the green light to begin construction of the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, the company’s second major offshore project in the Baltic Sea (Germany). With a capacity of 476 MW, Baltic Eagle will be capable of supplying renewable energy to 475,000 homes and will prevent the emission of more than 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. The construction phase starts after obtaining approvals from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). The wind farm will be fully operational by the end of 2024.
Located 30 kilometres northeast of the island of Rügen, off the coast of Pomerania, Baltic Eagle is part of what will be the largest offshore wind complex in the Baltic Sea, with a total installed capacity of more than 1,100 MW and a combined investment of 3.5 billion euros. This hub also includes the Wikinger (350 MW) offshore wind farm, commissioned at the end of 2017, and Windanker (300 MW), which will start operating in 2026.
The company has now started work to locate and remove unexploded ordnance from the seabed to ensure the safety of the works while continuing to progress with the production of the foundation components.
The Spanish company Windar has already manufactured the first of the 50 transition pieces that the facility will have, which join the wind turbine towers to the foundations. This process will create around 800 jobs and will last until the end of the year. Loading to Germany is scheduled for the beginning of 2023.
In addition, Germany’s EEW SPC has completed the first monopile at its Rostock plant. With a diameter of around 9 metres, a length of between 75 and 90 metres and a maximum weight of up to 1,402 tonnes, the 50 monopiles in the fleet will be completed in early 2023.
The offshore substation is also on schedule and the platform is expected to be delivered this year for installation at the site. This substation is under construction and will be used jointly by Iberdrola and 50Hertz, the transmission system operator in northeast Germany and responsible for connecting the offshore wind farm to the grid.
LEADER IN OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY
Offshore wind energy is one of the keys to Iberdrola’s growth. Just as the group was a pioneer in its commitment to onshore wind energy two decades ago, the company is leading the development of offshore wind power.
Iberdrola has more than 30,000 MW of operational capacity, in the pipeline and in early-stage developments. Focused on countries with ambitious targets, the group expects to have 12,000 MW of offshore wind energy in operation by 2030 and to achieve cumulative investments of over 30 billion euros worldwide.
During 2021, offshore wind energy has established itself as one of the company’s major growth vectors. At year-end, Iberdrola had already reached 1,260 MW offshore in operation, 1,800 MW under construction and 5,400 MW in advanced development, which will come into operation before 2027.
The company has a portfolio of projects in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, Ireland, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and Brazil, which could increase in the coming years thanks to the numerous auctions in which it is participating. Potential investments associated with this portfolio of projects, many of which could mature beyond 2030, could be estimated at 90 billion euros.
Source: Iberdrola
