• Platform agreement lays the foundation for a seamless grid connection of the Gennaker offshore wind farm.
  • 50Hertz CEO Stefan Kapferer: “By the end of 2028, more than three gigawatts of wind power capacity will be connected to the transmission grid in the German Baltic Sea.”
  • Skyborn Renewables CEO Patrick Lamers: “Gennaker relies on 50Hertz as its trusted partner to transmit as much green electricity as possible for the benefit of the German consumer.” 

By signing a contract governing the legally compliant cooperation for the construction and operation of the two offshore platforms required for the Gennaker offshore wind farm, transmission system operator 50Hertz and wind farm developer Skyborn Renewables (Skyborn) have cleared the way for commissioning the entire system by mid‑2028. The agreement resolves legal and regulatory uncertainties and sets a pioneering precedent for grid connection of an offshore wind farm located in territorial waters.

The Gennaker offshore wind farm, comprising 63 turbines of the 15‑MW class, will be built in German territorial waters (within the so‑called 12-nautical-mile zone) off the coast of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. The project received full approval from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in December last year. Installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin in late summer 2027. The cooperation agreement between 50Hertz and Skyborn now concluded represents an essential addition and prerequisite for the planned commissioning of the grid connection system in July 2028.

Stefan Kapferer, CEO of 50Hertz, said: “By the end of this decade, more than three gigawatts of offshore capacity will be connected to the transmission grid in the German Baltic Sea. The Gennaker wind farm will make a significant contribution to this. Today’s contract signing demonstrates that the expansion of offshore wind energy continues even under difficult economic conditions. What matters is the shared willingness to find solutions to complex challenges in the best interest of both parties.”

Patrick Lammers, CEO of Skyborn, said “This agreement is a decisive step towards delivering Gennaker. Together with 50Hertz, we have established a robust and forward-looking framework for connecting offshore wind projects located in territorial waters. Gennaker demonstrates how strong partnerships and pragmatic solutions can turn complex regulatory settings into tangible progress for Germany’s energy transition and long-term energy security.”

As Gennaker is the first offshore wind farm to be connected under the “territorial waters regulation,” suitable solutions had to be found for several highly complex legal issues. To support and accelerate offshore wind development more broadly, planning for wind farms in territorial waters has been integrated into the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency’s (BSH) offshore wind planning since 2022. Operators are entitled to a grid connection once approval has been granted under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG).

Two offshore platforms with a combined grid connection capacity of up to 927 MW—jointly used by the project partners as part of both the wind farm and the grid connection system—are required for Gennaker. The platforms, named OSS Zingst and OSS Darß, are currently being built at shipyards in the Netherlands. The cooperation agreement between 50Hertz and Skyborn defines key aspects such as collaboration, responsibilities, liability, payment terms, design, construction, installation, commissioning, and decommissioning of the two platforms, as well as fundamental principles for operation and maintenance. Shared platform use has a proven track record in the Baltic Sea: it reduces costs, minimizes the area required within the wind farm, and decreases environmental impact.

Once operational, the OSS Darß and OSS Zingst platforms will collect the electricity generated by the Gennaker turbines and transform it to 220‑kV high voltage. Through three subsea and onshore cable systems forming the OST‑6‑1 grid connection, the electricity will be transported from the platforms to the new Gnewitz substation some 70 and 90 kilometers away. Construction at the substation site is already well advanced following approval under the Federal Immission Control Act. For the territorial waters section, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania issued a planning approval decision in 2025, enabling offshore cable route work and onshore landing activities near Dierhagen to begin last year. Although approval procedures for the two offshore platforms and the onshore cable route are still ongoing, all documents required for planning approval have already been submitted.

Source: 50 Hertz