Vattenfall Installs First Monopile at Nordlicht I, Germany's Largest Offshore Wind Project

Hamburg — The expansion of offshore wind energy in the North Sea is advancing. Vattenfall has installed the first monopile for the Nordlicht I wind farm, marking a key construction phase for what is so far Germany's largest offshore wind project and advancing the expansion of fossil-free power generation in Europe.

The first monopile was installed on July 1 around 85 kilometers north of Borkum. Nordlicht I comprises 68 foundations consisting of monopiles and transition pieces and is designed to have a capacity of around 980 MW. The second phase, Nordlicht II, with a capacity of around 630 MW, is scheduled to follow about a year later. Both wind farms are expected to become operational in 2028.

Foundations for Germany's Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Each monopile for Nordlicht I is up to 80.5 meters long and weighs up to 1,290 tonnes. The monopiles are manufactured by Rostock-based EEW Special Pipe Constructions, while the associated transition pieces are produced by CS Wind Offshore at its site in Aalborg, Denmark. Installation of the foundations at sea is being carried out by Belgian offshore construction company DEME, which is responsible for both projects in the cluster. Prior to foundation installation, scour protection work was carried out at the future sites, using rock placements to protect the seabed from erosion, along with an onshore test of key work steps earlier in the year to trial processes and safety aspects ahead of the offshore construction phase.

Strategic Significance for Vattenfall's Offshore Portfolio

With Nordlicht, Vattenfall is strengthening its offshore portfolio and advancing the large-scale expansion of fossil-free energy in Europe. Cyril Moss, Project Director Nordlicht at Vattenfall, commented on the construction progress: "With the installation of the first monopile, Nordlicht is visibly taking shape in the waters of the North Sea. It’s an important step forward for Vattenfall and at the same time a meaningful contribution to the energy transition, strengthening energy security and competitiveness in Europe," said Cyril Moss, Project Director Nordlicht at Vattenfall. As part of its sustainability measures, Vattenfall is using low-emission steel grades for some of the turbine towers, reducing the turbines' carbon footprint by around 16 percent.

The Nordlicht Wind Cluster

Nordlicht consists of two separate projects, Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II, both being built around 85 kilometers north of Borkum in the German North Sea. With combined capacity of around 1,610 MW, the cluster ranks among the largest offshore wind projects in Germany. For both phases, Vattenfall is deploying a total of 112 turbines of the V236-15.0 MW type from Danish manufacturer Vestas, currently the most powerful offshore turbine available on the market at 15 MW rated capacity. Once fully operational, Nordlicht is expected to generate around 6 TWh of electricity per year, contributing to growing demand for reliable, locally generated, fossil-free power in Europe.

Source: IWR Online, Jul 07 2026