Vårgrønn, a Norway-based offshore wind company, has completed its acquisition of a 27.4% stake in the operational Baltic 2 offshore wind farm, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth strategy. This move strengthens Vårgrønn's presence in the renewable energy sector and provides the company with essential operational experience in the fast-growing offshore wind market. [...]
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control of EEW Offshore Wind EU by EEW Holding, both of Germany, and Sumitomo of Japan. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacturing of large steel tubes used in the construction of offshore wind farms. The Commission concluded that the notified [...]
European Commission and the High Representative released joint statement on the Investigation into Damaged Electricity and Data Cables in the Baltic Sea. Incident involving undersea cables in the Baltic Sea of December 25th is the latest in a series of suspected attacks on critical infrastructure. We commend the Finnish authorities for their swift action in [...]
NKT has been awarded two turnkey projects in Germany under the existing multi-year framework agreement with TenneT, a Dutch-German transmission system operator. These projects are part of TenneT's ambitious 2GW Program, which is considered one of the most significant infrastructure initiatives in Europe's energy transition. TenneT has selected NKT to provide 525 kV XLPE high-voltage [...]
The EU adopted a set of conservation measures to strengthen the environmental protection of five Natura 2000 sites in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Baltic Sea in December. The initiative, put forward by Germany and agreed by all Baltic EU countries, prohibits fishing with mobile bottom contacting gears in areas of the Fehmarnbelt, Kadetrinne [...]
Iberdrola Germany and SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG have entered into a long-term cooperation agreement for the supply of green electricity from the Windanker offshore wind farm, currently under construction in the Baltic Sea. The agreement will provide SCHWENK with 1,500 GWh of green electricity over the duration of the contract. This supply will [...]
A partnership between Novo Holdings and European Energy will repower 17 operational wind parks in Germany with new and more efficient wind turbines. The respective wind parks went operational between 2002 and 2008, and since then, significant advances have been made in wind turbine technology, resulting in more efficient, higher-capacity turbines that can generate substantially [...]
The decarbonisation agenda is a pressing priority for governments worldwide, and the Baltic Sea region is emerging as a critical area for renewable energy development, particularly offshore wind. In April 2024, eight countries bordering the Baltic Sea – Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Sweden – signed the Vilnius Declaration, pledging to collaborate [...]
The Bundesnetzagentur published the results of the auction for onshore wind farms that closed for bids on 1 November 2024. "The bids submitted shattered the old record, which was set in the previous auction, with more than twice as much volume and nearly as many bids as in all the 2023 auctions combined. The very [...]
Energy and marine consultancy ABL, a subsidiary of ABL Group ASA, has been awarded a sizeable contract to provide marine warranty survey (MWS) services to support the offshore construction of Iberdrola’s 315 MW Windanker offshore wind farm, offshore Germany. ABL Germany, based in Hamburg, will provide MWS services to support the offshore transportation and installation [...]
The organisers have announced a new date for the WINDFORCE Baltic Sea 2024 conference. The event will take place on 19-20 February 2025 and the venue remains the Danish islands of Lolland/Falster. Despite the change of date, the programme and key tenets of the event remain largely unchanged. The keynote has also been maintained: ‘Danish-German [...]
Vattenfall, following the sale of its Berlin district heating business, has announced a new strategy for the German market, which involves significant investment in the development of renewable energy production infrastructure and the development of electromobility. Investments in excess of €5 billion are planned until 2028. The main objective is to create a zero-carbon energy [...]
As part of a new partnership with leading scientists to improve monitoring of marine life, RWE has launched the SeaMe (Sustainable ecosystem approach in Monitoring the marine environment) project at its Kaskasi offshore wind farm off the German coast. The objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between offshore wind farms and [...]
The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has unveiled its new Maritime Future Concept, a strategic roadmap aimed at strengthening its maritime economy as a crucial component of the region’s socio-economic and environmental transformation. The Concept, presented today to Minister-President Manuela Schwesig and Minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour, Reinhard Meyer, aims to position the state [...]
Germany has unveiled a five-point Action Plan to ensure fair competition and data security in the wind energy sector. The German Economy and Energy Ministry (BMWK) is addressing challenges that threaten the European and German wind energy supply chain, particularly unfair competition from international, non-European competitors, and cybersecurity risks linked to non-European wind turbines. Key [...]
The installation of all wind turbines at the 476 MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm has been successfully completed. This marks a major milestone for the joint venture between Iberdrola, a global leader in renewable energy, and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company – Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy pioneer. Once fully operational, Baltic Eagle will [...]
During the 2nd Offshore Congress held in Emden in Germany, around 100 representatives from politics, trade unions, industry, and associations discussed the state and future of offshore wind energy. The discussion clearly emphasised that the northern German states have enormous potential to strengthen their position as the "political heart of Europe." To achieve this, it [...]
The Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) Coastal Liberty has commenced operations using a hydrogen-electric energy system in the German Wadden Sea. This initiative aims to reduce emissions associated with maritime activities, aligning with broader efforts to transition towards sustainable energy sources in the shipping industry. The hydrogen system, developed by Hamburg-based eCap Marine, received class certification [...]
Future-Proofing Germany’s Power Grid: Meeting Technology Demands by 2045 Germany is racing to expand and modernize its power grid, a critical move to support the country's energy transition. Renewable energy sources such as offshore wind farms, solar power, and storage systems, alongside growing demand from heat pumps, electric vehicles, and data centers, are placing unprecedented [...]
On the occasion of this year's WindEnergy trade fair and following the opening of its Renewable Energies Hub in Hamburg, TotalEnergies has announced the names of the offshore wind projects that the company will develop in Germany in the North and Baltic Seas: NordSee Energies 1, NordSee Energies 2 and OstSee Energies. The Nordsee Energies [...]
RWE and TotalEnergies agreed to jointly develop two large offshore wind projects off the German coast with a total capacity of 4 gigawatts (GW). To this end, TotalEnergies will acquire a 50% equity stake in both projects from RWE. When RWE was awarded the sites, in the latest offshore wind auction in Germany in August, it was [...]
A new study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE has analysed the economic effects on the European energy system of introducing offshore hydrogen production. The study considers the expansion of the German 70 GW buildout target of offshore wind and examines the economic effects by allowing offshore hydrogen production [...]
The WAB is present at the world's leading trade fair with a large joint stand. Bremerhaven / Hamburg, 23 September 2024 - The WindEnergy trade fair will take place in the Hamburg exhibition halls from 24 to 27 September 2024. The German Wind Industry and Hydrogen Association WAB e.V. has organised a large joint stand [...]
Germany’s latest onshore wind auction has awarded 2.7 GW of new capacity, marking a significant step toward the country’s 2030 renewable energy targets. The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) set the average strike price at EUR 73.30/MWh, in line with previous tenders. Record participation, positive trend reversal Of the 239 projects submitted, 230 secured subsidies, marking [...]
IG Metall and employee representatives from Siemens Energy are concerned about the recent developments in the expansion of wind energy. They warn against unfair competition from China, which could have serious consequences for Germany as an industrial location. At stake are not only good jobs in the wind power industry but also the energy transition [...]
The Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore e.V. (BWO), the leading association representing offshore wind energy interests in Germany, has nearly doubled its membership following a strategic restructuring. Over the past year, BWO has broadened its reach across the offshore wind value chain, resulting in a significant expansion of its member base. The association’s managing director, Stefan Thimm, [...]
First turbine of the new top-of-the-range wind turbine model is installed in Borchen-Etteln (North Rhine-Westphalia) / Commissioning measures already started. ‘This marks another important milestone in the market launch of our new top model,’ says ENERCON CTO Jörg Scholle. ‘Many thanks to everyone involved for their great commitment!’ The E-175 EP5 is designed for medium [...]
The Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and electricity transmission system operator 50Hertz entered a leasehold contract with a term of at least 60 years for a plot in the Warnemünde harbour. On the surface of around 23,000 square metres, 50Hertz will build the Rostock Offshore Quartier (ROQ). The new site will include an administrative building [...]
The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has announced the results of its latest offshore wind tender for pre-investigated areas, awarding a total of 5,500 MW of capacity across three sites in the North Sea. However, the tender has raised concerns within the industry about investor interest and transparency. Key points of the tender results: Three [...]
Energiequelle GmbH has commenced construction on a new wind farm in Eulitz, Saxony. This development marks a significant step in expanding wind energy capacity in eastern Germany, a region that has seen slower growth compared to northern states. The Eulitz wind farm will consist of two Enercon E-160 turbines, each boasting a hub height of [...]
Deutsche Windtechnik has reported a 100% retention rate for its latest cohort of mechatronics apprentices, signaling a positive trend in addressing the wind energy sector's ongoing skills shortage. All eleven graduates from the company's Viöl training center in Schleswig-Holstein have accepted full-time positions, transitioning to roles as qualified service technicians for both onshore and offshore [...]
Rovco has completed a critical unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance project for Iberdrola’s Windanker offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. Advanced Technology in Action Situated near Rügen Island within the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Windanker wind farm required thorough UXO clearance to ensure safe construction. In Q2 2024, Rovco deployed its state-of-the-art 3D [...]
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced it will provide a €500mn counter-guarantee to Deutsche Bank aimed at boosting Europe’s wind turbine manufacturing industry. This announcement marks the first tranche activated under the EIB’s €5bn counter-guarantee scheme which constitutes the EIB’s key contribution under the EU Wind Power Package. The counter-guarantees will improve access to [...]
Bayreuth, Berlin, Dortmund, Stuttgart, 15 July 2024. An important joint project for the energy transition is becoming reality. The four German transmission system operators 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW are starting an innovation partnership with industrial partners Siemens Energy, GE Vernova and Hitachi Energy. The partnership will develop multi-terminal hubs with DC circuit breakers to interlink [...]
The Federal Cabinet adopted the import strategy for hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives on 24 July 2024. The import strategy sets out a clear and reliable framework for the urgently needed imports of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives to Germany. It is a key component of Germany’s hydrogen policy and supports the German government’s commitment to developing the domestic [...]
The European Union has launched a new platform that consolidates key data on offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea. The RES Auctions Platform is a deliverable of the EC Communication Wind Power Action Plan (COM(2023) 669 final). This platform consolidates the main information from Member States on planned renewable energy auctions in the EU. [...]
As reported in Iberdrola's mid-2024 financial update, 25 out of the planned 50 wind turbines for the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany have now been installed. Baltic Eagle is on track to become operational by the end of 2024, when it will supply renewable energy to around 475,000 households and contribute to Germany’s [...]
Qualitas Energy, a global investment, management, and project development platform focused on renewable energy, energy transition, and sustainable infrastructure investment, announced that it has secured the winning tender from Federal Network Agency’s (BNetzA) for a 39.9 MW greenfield project in Dalkendorf, Mecklenburg, located in the Rostock district in northern Germany. Successful completion of the tender [...]
The Bundesnetzagentur has released its preliminary figures on growth in renewable capacity in the first half of 2024. From January to June capacity totalling 9.3 GW was put into operation at renewable energy installations. Taking into account the closure of older installations totalling 0.4 GW in the same period, the total capacity increased by 5.3% [...]
Navantia Seanergies and Windar Renovables will manufacture 21 monopiles for Iberdrola for the Windanker offshore wind farm. This is the second monopiles contract for Iberdrola and the fourth contract of this type of foundations for the Navantia-Windar alliance to date. Production will take place at the monopile factory operated by Navantia Seanergies and Windar Renovables [...]
Six German organizations dealing wind offshore wind energy development – Bundesverband WindEnergie e.V. (BWE), Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore e.V. (BWO), OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE Foundation,VDMA Power Systems, WAB e.V., WindEnergy Network e.V. (WEN) - released joint pressrelease to flag the need to Strengthen supply chains and ports immedietely. - The expansion of offshore wind energy in Germany continues to pick [...]
Building on existing marine life protections, Ørsted has developed a new, lower-noise installation method that could potentially revolutionise the way offshore wind foundations are installed. The groundbreaking new technology has been successfully tested in Germany, proving that this innovative approach can dramatically reduce noise levels during foundation installations, strengthening existing protections to marine life and [...]
NeXtWind hosted a joint owners' event to inform the owners about the cooperation between the two project developers on the Zörbig repowering project. The future pooling of joint resources and the great expertise of both companies - and not least the strong support from local politicians - will ensure efficient project implementation with high quality [...]
In the Baltic Sea, off the island of Rügen, 50Hertz has completed the last of three cable systems for the Ostwind 2 offshore grid connection project after a four-week trial run, meaning that it will start continuous operation almost three months ahead of schedule. The Arcadis Ost 1 (Parkwind) and Baltic Eagle (Iberdrola) wind farms [...]
Ramboll has secured the contract as foundation designer for Gennaker Offshore Wind Park – the most powerful offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. Ramboll's mandate is to develop the basic and detailed design of 63 monopile foundations that will support the 15 MW class turbines of Skyborn Renewables’ offshore wind project. Ramboll’s engineering [...]
PNE Group has once again scored successes in the tender round for onshore wind turbines of the Federal Network Agency. All four wind farms submitted were awarded the contract. The wind energy projects "Lütau”, "Wulfsdorf", "Willerstedt" and "Kuhstedt III" have passed the current tender round. In Schleswig-Holstein, the wind farms "Lütau" with 5 wind turbines [...]
Iberdrola has taken the final investment decision (FID) for its Windanker offshore wind farm in Germany, progressing the project into the delivery phase. Windanker is Iberdrola's third offshore wind initiative in the German Baltic Sea, following the operational 350 MW Wikinger and the 467 MW Baltic Eagle project. The company has finalized all supply chain [...]
TotalEnergies, as shareholder of Offshore Wind One GmbH, has been awarded the maritime concession N-11.2 by the German Federal Network Agency, following auctions held in Germany. Located in the North Sea, around 120 kilometers north-west of the German island of Heligoland, concession N-11.2 (1.5 GW) covers an area of around 156 square kilometers. This success [...]
The first wind turbine has successfully been installed at the German offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 3. With an installed capacity of 913 MW, it will be the largest offshore wind farm in Germany once in operation. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is also the first offshore wind farm to be awarded without subsidies in the world. This has primarily [...]
In 2024, Germany faces a considerable reduction in federal funding for project research, particularly impacting energy research. The Fraunhofer Group for "Energy Technologies and Climate Protection" warns that a 30% reduction in funding for new projects compared to the previous year could severely hinder the country's ability to innovate in essential energy transition technologies. This [...]
Skyborn Renewables (Skyborn) advances the Gennaker offshore wind project with an updated Master Supply Agreement signed today with Siemens Gamesa for the delivery of 63 SG 14-236 DD wind turbines with a power boost of up to 15MW and a rotor diameter of 236 meters. This agreement strengthens the long-term partnership between the two companies [...]
Swedish government announced its decision to reject the proposed 700 megawatts Hansa PowerBridge project, a new subsea power connection between Sweden and Germany. According to Reuters, the rejection was grounded on concerns about the inefficiency of the German electricity market, which could adversely affect Sweden's electricity prices and market stability. As reported by Reuters Sweden's [...]
Vestas has secured a conditional agreement to supply 112 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines for Vattenfall’s and BASF’s Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind projects, as already communicated in Vestas’ Company Announcement 10/2024 of 13 June 2024. Within the scope of the contract is furthermore a 5-year service and warranty agreement followed by an operational support [...]
Nine gas transmission system operators (TSOs) in the countries around the Baltic Sea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to coordinate and facilitate hydrogen infrastructure and also to foster hydrogen market development in the Baltic Sea region. The MoU establishes and implements the cooperation between TSOs. The parties of the MoU are [...]
UL Solutions a global leader in applied safety science, announced that it has completed technical due diligence to support Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar a leading developer and operator of utility-scale renewable energy projects, in the successful acquisition and subsequent financing of its 49% interest in the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, [...]
The wind farm will be repowered to reach a final installed capacity of 36 MW. Partnership-based cooperation with local residents and communities creates a strong foundation for sustainable and long-term successful energy projects. The environmentally friendly wind energy generated at the Brandenburg site will supply approximately 24,000 households in the future Qualitas Energy, a global [...]
Vestas has received a 72 MW order from Denker & Wulf AG for the wind energy project Holtsee in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Vestas will deliver ten V162-7.2 MW wind turbines, and the order includes supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines. "This order from customer Denker & Wulf AG underlines the efficient technology of our EnVentus [...]
![© Jörge Schneemann [2024] Scanning Lidar device temporarily installed on the nacelle of a wind turbine at RWE’s offshore wind farm Amrumbank West as part of the C²-Wakes project.](https://balticwind.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Zrzut-ekranu-2024-06-7-o-00.59.50-320x202.png)
The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES, together with its project partners RWE, ForWind (University of Oldenburg – Institute of Physics), and Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, is investigating how to optimize the total energy yield of offshore wind farms in the "C²-Wakes – Controlled Cluster Wakes" research project. The project aims to utilize an extensive offshore [...]
The BEMIP Offshore Wind Working Group is implementing strategic priorities for 2024 to further advance offshore renewable energy in the Baltic Sea region. With a substantial potential of over 93 GW for offshore wind energy, the focus is on capitalizing on this resource while enhancing regional cooperation. During the Energy Security Summit held in Marienborg, [...]
RWE has made the investment decision for its Nordseecluster, involving offshore wind projects with a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts (GW). The wind farms will be built in the North Sea, about 50 kilometres north of the island of Juist. Suppliers of the main components have already been selected for the cluster as a whole. [...]
Van Oord has been contracted by the Spanish energy company Iberdrola for the constructionof the German Windanker offshore wind farm. Yet another addition to Van Oord’s portfolio of offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea, highlighting its experience in the area and leading position in the energy transition. Van Oord's scope includes the transport and [...]
50Hertz can finally begin work on the Ostwind 3 grid connection for the offshore wind farm Windanker in the Baltic Sea. The Ministry for Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has issued the permits for the onshore route of four kilometers as well as a substation with a surface of approx. ten hectares in the municipality of [...]
The world’s first wooden wind turbine blades have been installed in Germany, promising to produce 78% fewer CO2 emissions during construction and reduce production costs by 20% compared to current turbine blades. Designed and manufactured by Voodin Blade Technology, a German pioneer in wind turbine blade manufacturing, these laminated veneer lumber blades represent a more [...]
Things are really looking up again for onshore wind in Germany. Last year they were building over twice as much new onshore wind as they were each year over 2018-22. Permitting reforms mean more new projects are being approved than at any time since 2016. And they now plan to auction a massive 15 GW [...]
The first of a total of fifty wind turbines has been successfully installed at the 476MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, a joint venture between Iberdrola, a world leading clean energy company, and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company – Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse. Working in partnership with Vestas , the remaining wind turbines [...]
RWE, one of the world’s leading players in offshore wind, signed Framework Agreements with Hitachi Energy and Aibel for the joint supply of three high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems for RWE offshore wind farms. The agreements are long-term in nature as the secured HVDC systems are designated for offshore wind projects from RWE’s global development [...]
Allseas has been contracted for the transport and installation (T&I) of two major substations (so called OSS) for the Gennaker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea, developed by transmission operator 50Hertz. Located 15 kilometres off the German coast near the Darß peninsula, and with a production capacity of 900 MW, Gennaker will be [...]
German Offshore Wind Energy Association (Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore e.V, BWO) indicates that the statutory expansion target for 2035 is "at least 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035", however, there are delays in grid expansion and challenges along the value chain. What do politicians need to do to achieve the expansion targets for offshore wind [...]
The BEMIP Offshore Wind Working Group is implementing strategic priorities for 2024 to further advance offshore renewable energy in the Baltic Sea region. With a substantial potential of over 93 GW for offshore wind energy, the focus is on capitalizing on this resource while enhancing regional cooperation. During the Energy Security Summit held in Marienborg, [...]
50Hertz can finally begin work on the Ostwind 3 grid connection for the offshore wind farm Windanker in the Baltic Sea. The Ministry for Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has now issued the permits for the onshore route of four kilometers as well as a substation with a surface of approx. ten hectares in the municipality [...]
The Energy Ministers of 8 Baltic Sea countries - Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Sweden - agreed the Vilnius Declaration, pledging closer collaboration to secure critical offshore energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. This comes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and various acts of sabotage to energy infrastructure in the [...]
The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES has conducted a boulder detection campaign in the Baltic Sea on behalf of Baltic Power for the foundations of the planned wind turbines. It also applied the surveying technology along the planned subsea cable routes for the very first time. The innovative Manta Ray G1 measuring system [...]
The transmission system operator 50Hertz has restructured its organizational setup to effectively tackle the demanding investment and construction program anticipated in the coming years. This restructuring entails expanded and new responsibilities at the management level. Stefan Kapferer, Chairman of the Management Board, stated, "We are now entering a new phase of the company. We are [...]
The German government presented its new ports strategy on 20 March. The strategy contains a collection of measures, but no plans for financing. Therefore, the onshore and offshore wind energy associations, the OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE foundation and the Hamburg Renewable Energy Cluster are appealing to the government to take the needs of the energy transition into account [...]
Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse, has achieved close on the financing of its 49 percent shareholding in the 476MW Baltic Eagle wind farm, located in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Germany. This is Masdar’s largest ever euro-denominated financing, as well as its first project with Iberdrola and its first in Germany. The [...]
On March 1, 2024, Markus Nölke (54) took over the management of WAB e.V. in Bremerhaven. Born in Bremerhaven, he originally comes from the transport and logistics sector, where he focused on shipping and port issues. Before joining WAB, Nölke had spent the previous 14 years as Managing Director of the Verein zur Förderung des [...]
International green energy company Ignitis Renewables supports the expedition Save the Baltic Sea and invites to pay attention to the ecological state of the sea and work together in preserving the Baltic Sea. During the nine-month walk around the Baltic Sea, the expedition and its partners will invite citizens, governments, organisations and businesses to take [...]
The latest annual statistics and seven-year outlook published by WindEurope reveal significant advancements in the European wind energy sector, particularly in the offshore market and among countries bordering the Baltic Sea. The report indicates that the European Union is on track to achieve its wind energy targets for 2030, owing to improvements in permitting processes [...]
RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, is to establish an initial 30 person dedicated Fleet Servicing Team for the UK and Germany to support its growing international offshore wind fleet. Initially focused on five operational projects off the UK and German coasts, the team will secure new, long term jobs, and have [...]
Indeximate Ltd., a start-up founded in the UK in 2022, has won RWE’s second global Innovation Competition. The competition was launched with the aim to find innovative solutions in the domains of system integration, circularity and environmental protection in offshore wind that can support RWE´s growth ambitions and sustainability targets. In order to select the [...]
The Offshore Network Development Plans (ONDP) is a new component of the TYNDP, delivering a high-level outlook of the needs of offshore transmission infrastructure. The first edition of the ONDP has been published on 23 January 2024. The plans translate EU Member States’ non-binding agreements on offshore goals from January 2023 into offshore transmission corridors, [...]
Authorisations have been granted for the grid connection of the Windanker offshore wind farm in territorial waters and in the EEZ. Transmission system operator 50Hertz has received the planning approval decisions for the offshore route of the Ostwind 3 grid connection. This applies to the section in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the section [...]
The Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a third Important Project of Common European Interest (‘IPCEI') to support hydrogen infrastructure. This IPCEI is expected to boost the supply of renewable hydrogen, thereby reducing dependency on natural gas and helping to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan. The [...]
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind GmbH, sheds light on the imperative need to address grid congestion challenges in Germany, which resulted in the wastage of over 4,000 GWh of offshore electricity in 2022 – an amount exceeding the annual consumption of all households in Berlin. Main Insights: 1. Grid congestion in Germany led [...]
Eurogrid, the parent company of transmission system operator 50Hertz, secured funds totaling 1,5 billion euros with its third and fourth Green Bond to continue the necessary grid expansion for the energy transition. It is the highest bond amount in the history of the company. Selected projects on land and at sea that can increase the [...]
The industry associations of the German offshore wind industry and the non-profit OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE foundation presented yesterday the expansion figures for the full year 2023. The figures prepared by the consulting company Deutsche WindGuard show that a total of 27 turbines with a capacity of 257 megawatts (MW) fed into the electricity grid for the first [...]
On January 18, The Bundesnetzagentur published a key elements paper on the future of cost and incentive regulation in the electricity and gas network sectors. "Network operators are successfully making considerable efforts to meet the challenges of the energy transition. We want to provide even more support to them in this endeavour. Over the years, [...]
BalticWind.EU asked industry leaders and key policy-makers for their assessment of what has been achieved in the past year and what the forecasts are for 2024. In today’s interview of the „Baltic Sea Offshore Wind – 2024 Outlook” series, we present the opinion of Dr. Dennis Kruse, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of WAB. [...]
Germany has granted approval for two significant offshore grid connection projects, marking a milestone in the country's renewable energy goals. The approvals, granted by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), pertain to the 300 MW Ostwind 3 project by 50Hertz and the 900 MW DolWin4 project by Amprion. These projects aim to harness power [...]
After Van Oord’s heavy lift installation vessel Svanen completed installation of all fifty monopiles for Iberdrola Deutschland’s Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, Van Oord now continues installing transition pieces and starts cable installation. This week the inter-array cable loading onto Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Nexus has commenced. In total, Van Oord will install approximately 70 [...]
The electricity transmission system operators (TSOs) of the nine Baltic Sea Region countries will continue to cooperate actively to ensure the reliability of the region's electricity supply, the implementation of the project to synchronise the Baltic electricity grids with continental Europe and to develop the future energy system for large-scale offshore wind power. This decision [...]
The Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm off the coast of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is now supplying its full capacity to the German electricity transmission system, providing consumers with an additional 250 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. 50Hertz built the submarine and onshore cable connection to the Lubmin substation and worked with wind farm operator [...]
The recent press release from the Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore e.V. (BWO) regarding the federal port strategy signifies a commendable step in the right direction. The statement acknowledges the pivotal role that ports play in unlocking both economic and energy policy success. By recognizing ports as key elements in the offshore wind industry, the strategy under [...]
Danish and German TSO’s Energinet and 50Hertz have started the tendering process for key technologies of the joint project Bornholm Energy Island that will bring 3 GW of green power to German and Danish energy consumers. As a result of a market dialogue with possible vendors this summer, the partners decided to speed up the [...]
Smulders is joining forces with the MEYER Group, which includes NEPTUN WERFT in Warnemünde, to build offshore converter platforms at the Warnemünde site. To this end, they have the intention to jointly found the companies NEPTUN SMULDERS Offshore Renewables and NEPTUN SMULDERS Engineering, which will take over the design and manufacture of the platforms. The [...]
Parkwind and partners defy autumn storms to complete installation of final towers and turbines at Arcadis Ost 1. The final three turbines of Parkwind’s 27-turbine Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm were installed during the stormy autumn season in less than 8 days to complete construction of the world’s first fully floating installed commercial offshore [...]
The 21st WINDFORCE Baltic Sea Conference will take place from November 20-21 in Warnemünde under the motto "Offshore wind: from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. Implementing climate protection targets, creating jobs, strengthening industry". This year's conference partner is the WindEnergy Network e.V.. With international guests and national experts, the conference will focus on [...]
Hansa PowerBridge is a cross-border high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system, intended in future to connect the power grids of Germany and Sweden. This will improve security of electricity supply in both countries and allow closer integration of renewable energies. It will also contribute towards the further development of the European internal energy market. Sweden has [...]
Iberdrola has signed a strategic agreement with Masdar, a major renewable energy group based in Abu Dhabi, to co-invest in the 476 MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, located in the German Baltic Sea. Following confirmation that all the necessary regulatory approvals have been received, Iberdrola will have a majority stake of 51% in the [...]
European Union is working on new list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMI) in the areas of electricity, offshore, hydrogen, smart grids and cross-border carbon dioxide networks. According to draft list –it identifies, among others, Priority Corridor Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan in electricity (BEMIP Electricity), Priority Corridor Baltic [...]