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New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Germany’s offshore wind sector racks up new developments
15/5/2024
News
The first turbine at the Gode Wind 3 project, reportedly the most powerful and largest turbine in German waters, has generated first power, marking a new milestone for the German offshore wind sector.
The first of 23 turbines to be installed at the 253 MW Gode Wind 3 offshore wind project, owned by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure, has been connected to the German grid. The 11 MW SG 11.0-200 DD turbine from manufacturer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has a rotor diameter of 200 meters and is claimed to be the largest turbine currently operating in the German North Sea. With an output of 8 MW, the new generation of turbines offers an annual energy yield that is reported to be up to 40% higher than its predecessor.
In addition to the 23 wind turbines for Gode Wind 3, a further 83 turbines for the upcoming Ørsted project Borkum Riffgrund 3 (913 MW) are currently being prepared for installation.
The two new wind farms, which are expected to be fully commissioned in 2024 and 2025, will double Ørsted’s installed offshore wind power capacity in Germany to around 2.5 GW.
Meanwhile, the first of 50 wind turbines has been successfully installed at the 476 MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, a joint venture between Iberdrola and the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar). The Vestas turbines each have an output of 9.525 MW, with rotor diameters of 174 metres.
Baltic Eagle is due to be operational by the end of the year. It is the second of three major projects in Germany, along with the Wikinger (350 MW, in operation) and Windanker (315 MW, entering execution phase) wind farms. Collectively, these offshore wind farms constitute Iberdrola’s so-called ‘Baltic Hub’, which will have a total capacity of more than 1.1 GW in 2026.
Romania adopts offshore wind law
On the other side of Europe, the Romanian Parliament has adopted the country’s first ever Offshore Wind Energy Law in its bid to improve energy security of supply and achieve energy independence.
Romania aims to develop its first offshore wind farm by 2032, with the Romanian Ministry of Energy soon to launch a study to assess wind potential, grid capacity, and possible maritime spatial planning restrictions.
According to WindEurope, Romania is currently developing a number of onshore wind projects, and added 72 MW of onshore wind energy to its energy mix in 2023.
Commenting on the new offshore wind law, WindEurope’s Chief Policy Officer Pierre Tardieu says: ‘This is good news for Romania, and its good news for Europe. Offshore wind is homegrown, scaleable and competitive; it can become central to south-east Europe’s energy security and growth strategy.’
