Vattenfall to proceed with 1.6GW Nordlicht offshore wind cluster

Swedish energy firm Vattenfall has reached a final investment decision on the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind farms.

The 1.6GW Nordlicht wind cluster will become the largest offshore wind farm project in Germany and once fully operational will produce 6TWh of electricity annually.

The project will be situated 85km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea. It will consist of two separate sites including the 980MW Nordlicht 1 site and the Nordlicht 2 site with ~630MW.

Construction of the Nordlicht 1 and 2 wind farms is planned to begin in 2026.

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Helene Biström, head of Business Area Wind at Vattenfall, commented on the announcement: “By accelerating Germany’s energy transition and supporting industrial decarbonisation, it will provide clean, reliable energy while driving innovation and sustainability in the sector. We look forward to realising this important project in close collaboration with our supply chain partners”.

Vattenfall has a conditional agreement with Vestas for the supply and installation of 112 V236-15.0MW wind turbines for the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind farms. In an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the project, the turbine towers will partially be made with low-emission steel, which will result in a 16% CO₂ reduction.

Also of interest: Vattenfall’s old wind turbine blades hit the slopes as skis

Chemical company BASF purchased 49% equity shares in the project from Vattenfall in 2024. BASF has announced it will now be selling those shares back to Vattenfall and will be securing a long-term supply of renewable power for its chemical production in Europe – at times when additional supply will be needed.

The final investment decision for Nordlicht 2 has been made on a conditional basis, pending the receipt of the necessary permit.