Swedish renewable energy company Vattenfall has announced its final investment decision (FID) to proceed with the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind farms in Germany.
The two wind farms, collectively known as Nordlicht offshore wind cluster, will have a net capacity of more than 1.6GW. The construction works on the wind farms are slated to begin next year, with the goal of reaching operational status by 2028.
Vattenfall Business Area Wind head Helene Biström said: “The Nordlicht offshore wind cluster makes a significant milestone in the path to enabling fossil freedom. By accelerating Germany’s energy transition and supporting industrial decarbonisation, it will provide clean, reliable energy while driving innovation and sustainability in the sector.”
The cluster is located 85km north of Borkum Island in the German North Sea. It comprises two distinct sites- Nordlicht 1 with a capacity of 980MW and Nordlicht 2 with 630MW. Together, they are anticipated to generate around 6 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually once fully operational.
Once operational, the Nordlicht 1 will become largest offshore wind project in Germany. The Nordlicht 2 project’s FID is contingent upon the acquisition of necessary permits.
In a parallel development, chemical firm BASF has secured a long-term renewable electricity supply from the Nordlicht wind farms. The agreement ensures a steady flow of green power for BASF’s chemical production across Europe.
Vattenfall has also confirmed its intention to repurchase the shares in the Nordlicht cluster that BASF acquired in 2024, underlining the ongoing partnership between the two corporations.
As part of Vattenfall’s commitment to sustainability, the Nordlicht wind farms will incorporate towers for the wind turbines partially constructed with low-emission steel. This approach is projected to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the projects by 16%.
Last month, DEME won more than €300m contract for the transport and installation of 112 foundations at the 1.6GW Nordlicht offshore wind farms.
