The Hanseatic and University City of Rostock has signed a long-term heritable building right contract with 50Hertz to develop the Rostock Offshore Quarter (ROQ). This hub will serve as the operational base for 50Hertz's offshore wind transmission activities.
The 60-year contract covers a 23,000 square meter plot at the port in Warnemünde. The development will include an administration building, indoor and outdoor warehouses, a quay connection, and berths for supply and transport ships. Approximately 180 employees are expected to work at the site.
The location's proximity to the open sea makes it ideal for managing the electrotechnical facilities on the Baltic Sea, according to 50Hertz. The administration building will feature 100 workstations, mainly using the flex-desk principle, and will house several units, including a maritime coordination centre for ship and helicopter operations, maritime surveillance, and crisis management. Additionally, there will be an offshore control centre for monitoring sea-based substations around the clock, and an offshore logistics centre with office, workshop, and storage space for maintaining and repairing the offshore power grid.
In the warehouse, 50Hertz plans to store submarine cables on large turntables for necessary repairs. Dirk Biermann, chief operations officer at 50Hertz, highlighted the strategic advantages of the location, stating, “The location in Rostock-Warnemünde in the immediate vicinity of the shipyards and important service providers is ideal for us to bundle our offshore activities in the Baltic Sea.”
Biermann also noted the Baltic Sea's growing significance as an electricity supplier and the importance of preparing for future offshore projects. “We are investing around €80 million in this attractive location, which is excellently connected to Deutsche Bahn's long-distance transport, local public transport and highways and motorways,” he said.
Before construction begins, the site must be cleared of contaminated materials. In the interim, 50Hertz will establish temporary offices and storage facilities nearby, starting in 2025. The ROQ is scheduled to be operational by 2028, with plans to deepen the harbor basin to 10 meters to accommodate heavy-duty ships up to 200 meters long.
