Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has granted planning approval for Vattenfall’s 630-megawatt Nordlicht 2 offshore wind project in the North Sea, clearing the way for construction of the second installation in the company’s Nordlicht cluster, the Swedish energy group said this week.
Located more than 84 kilometres off the East Frisian island of Borkum and about 96 kilometres from the German mainland, Nordlicht 2 will consist of 44 turbines, each with a capacity of 15 MW.
Vattenfall has a conditional agreement with Danish manufacturer Vestas to supply its V236-15.0 MW turbines for both Nordlicht 2 and its sister project, Nordlicht 1.
The company made a conditional final investment decision (FID) for Nordlicht 2 last year, subject to the receipt of required permits, which have now been secured, Vattenfall said.
Construction is expected to begin in the coming years, with completion and full commissioning planned by the end of 2028.
Nordlicht 2 will be connected to Germany’s onshore power grid via the NOR-6-3 system, operated by transmission company Amprion. The connection includes the BorWin delta converter platform and the BorWin4 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line.
“Securing this permit marks a key step forward for our Nordlicht cluster,” a Vattenfall spokesperson said. “The project underlines our commitment to supporting Germany’s renewable energy goals and expanding offshore wind capacity in the North Sea.”
The Nordlicht cluster represents one of Vattenfall’s largest offshore wind developments in Europe and forms part of Germany’s broader strategy to accelerate offshore wind deployment to meet its 2030 climate targets.
