• Presentation of the plans together with Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger and Minister of Economic Affairs Dr Wolfgang Blank
  • Contract awarded for multifunctional building ensemble to architectural firm Bastmann+Zavracky
  • COO Dr Dirk Biermann: “A place where people like to work and which characterises the environment.”

Transmission system operator 50Hertz has presented its plans for the “Rostock Offshore Quarter” (ROQ) in the port of Warnemünde together with Mayor of the Hanseatic League and University City of Rostock, Eva-Maria Kröger, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Dr. Wolfgang Blank. On a site area of 25,000 square metres, a multifunctional building ensemble with modern offices, workshops and storage areas is to be built directly on the quayside in the immediate vicinity of the naval arsenal and the Neptun shipyard. 

After moving into the facility in 2028, up to 180 people will work in the ROQ in various functional areas of 50Hertz offshore operations. In addition to the headquarters in Berlin and the location in Neuenhagen in Brandenburg, this will then be the third-largest 50Hertz site. The ROQ is located in the immediate vicinity of the open sea and is therefore an ideal location for the operation of the electrotechnical facilities on the Baltic Sea. Six offshore platforms and grid connection systems are currently in operation for the Baltic 1 and Baltic 2, Wikinger, Arkona, Arcadis Ost 1 and Baltic Eagle wind farms, and three platforms for the Gennaker and Windanker wind farms will be added in the next few years, and a converter platform for the Ostwind 4 project after 2030. This requires increased personnel, logistics and material costs for maintenance and operation of the systems. The investment costs for the new location amount to around 90 million euros.

Dr Dirk Biermann, Chief Operations Officer at 50Hertz: “The Rostock Offshore Quarter will be our gateway to the Baltic Sea. We are building an ensemble of buildings here which fulfils various functions and at the same time is architecturally sophisticated, both outside and inside. It is supposed to be a place where people like to work and which at the same time characterises the environment. The ROQ is an important cornerstone for the future maritime business park at this location.”

Eva-Maria Kröger, Mayor of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock: “Now that the city of 50Hertz has made the property available to 50Hertz as part of a heritable building right contract, the next steps are now being taken in close coordination. Building permit, planning approval procedures for the redesign of the shipyard basin, remediation of contaminated sites, expansion of the water depth and more. With 50Hertz, we have a partner with whom we constructively tackle and solve many of the complicated issues together in constant dialogue. This is an important step in the transformation of this historic commercial and shipbuilding location in a prime location.”

Dr Wolfgang Blank, Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: “The Rostock Offshore Quarter is symbolic of the economic awakening on our coast. Warnemünde combines the maritime industry and renewable energies – two key industries for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The state is supporting the development of the site with around 68 million Euros. 50Hertz’s plans fit perfectly into this concept for the future.”

Attractive jobs at a maritime location

The Rostock-based architectural firm Bastmann+Zavracky has won the Europe-wide tender with its proposal and is implementing the project as architect and general planner. The outer façade of the office building will have a clear horizontal structure with tilted transparent surfaces. In these, the mood of the day is to be broken by water, sky and clouds and thus enter into a permanent visual dialogue with the environment shaped by the sea. Inside the building, flexible working environments are being created that correspond to the philosophy of a modern working culture at 50Hertz. The adjacent warehouse and logistics hall will have a green roof and a photovoltaic roof system for electricity generation.

In the light-flooded five-storey office building of the ROQ, 135 permanent workplaces will be created, including in the Maritime Coordination Centre (MCC), which plans the deployment of ships and helicopters, monitors the sea space and takes over maritime crisis management in the event of accidents or accidents. In the Offshore Control Centre (OCC), the control and monitoring of the substations at sea is carried out with 365/24/7 readiness.

More space for repairing, storing and navigating

The 190-metre-long warehouse and logistics hall adjoins the office building facing the Baltic Sea, in which, among other things, several kilometres of submarine cables are stored on four large turntables for repairs in the event of accidents. The warehouse is equipped with two crane runways for up to 20 tonnes of heavy loads. In addition, the hall will house a light load and consumption warehouse, workshops and a customs declaration area. Supply ships up to 200 metres long will be able to moor at the publicly accessible harbour quay of the ROQ, and two so-called Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV) will also be moored here for transporting personnel to the offshore platforms.

Until the planned start of construction in 2026, the Rostock Port and Seamen’s Office will have to carry out a whole series of preparatory work and approval procedures, as well as demolition work and remediation of contaminated sites. In order to bridge the time until the planned move-in, 50Hertz is building a two-storey container facility with interim offices and an outdoor warehouse on a 10,000 square metre rented area. 50Hertz employees will be able to move into this temporary facility, known as ROQi for short, in the summer of this year.

Source: 50Hertz