Vattenfall Green-lights 1.6 GW ‎Nordlicht Offshore Wind Cluster in Germany

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 85 km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea. It will consist of two separate sites, including the 980 MW Nordlicht 1 site and the Nordlicht 2 site with 630 MW. Construction of the Nordlicht 1 and 2 wind farms is planned to begin in 2026. The project is scheduled for completion and full commissioning by the end of 2028.

Located more than 84 km off the East Frisian island of Borkum and about 96 km from the German mainland, Nordlicht 2 will comprise 44 turbines, each with a capacity of 15MW. Nordlicht 2 will be connected to Germany’s onshore grid via the NOR-6-3 grid connection system, operated by Amprion, which includes the BorWin delta converter platform and the BorWin4 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line.

Vattenfall has entered into 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 2024, BASF acquired a 49% equity stake in the project from Vattenfall. However, BASF has now decided to sell its shares back to Vattenfall while securing a long-term renewable power supply to support its chemical production operations in Europe, particularly during periods of increased energy demand.