The first wind turbines are expected to start running mid year 2012. The wind farm will be situated about 22 miles north of the island of Helgoland, at a depth of 22 – 25 meters.
Nordsee Ost is said to be the first project under the framework agreement concluded between REpower and RWE Innogy in February 2009 for the delivery of up to 250 offshore turbines of the type REpower 5M/6M.
REpower will supply the nacelles and hubs after manufacturing the same at the company’s offshore production facility in Bremer-haven as well as the rotor blades and towers for the project. REpower will also be responsible for the start-up of the wind farm and for servicing. Nordsee Ost will be co-funded by the European Commission under the EEPR programme.
Paul Coffey, member of the management board at RWE Innogy, said: “With ‘Nordsee Ost’ we are realizing a German offshore project that has already re-ceived all the required permits. The framework agreement with REpower gives us the flexibility to change our original plans and to start installation somewhat earlier, before we receive planning permission for our second German north sea project, Innogy Nordsee 1.
“We’ll be investing about a billion Euros in ‘Nordsee Ost’. We’ve already gathered some positive initial operational experience with the REpower 5M turbines at our Belgian offshore project Thornton Bank.”
