Germany: Both offshore substations for Nordseecluster A have now been installed, marking a key milestone in the project’s development. The platforms, each measuring around 40 m in length and 22 m in height, were built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at its Saint-Nazaire yard in France.
They were transported and installed on their foundations by Scaldis, using its floating heavy-lift crane vessel Gulliver. The substation foundations themselves were previously installed by Heerema Marine Contractors’ semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir.
According to project owner RWE, offshore construction of Nordseecluster A is progressing as planned. The project is jointly owned with Norges Bank Investment Management.
Foundation installation was completed in late 2025, while inter-array cable works are currently ongoing. Installation of the wind turbines is expected to begin in summer 2026.
Nordseecluster A is the first phase of the wider 1.6 GW offshore wind development. It will include 44 Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines and deliver around 660 MW of capacity once fully operational in early 2027.
The second phase, Nordseecluster B, will add a further 900 MW through 60 additional turbines, with commissioning planned from 2029. Regulatory approval was granted at the end of March by Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, allowing offshore work to begin next year. Several key components are already under manufacturing.
Once fully completed, the entire Nordseecluster is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to power around 1.6 million German households, according to RWE.
Source: Offshorewind.biz
