RWE and Northland Power have announced that they have selected Havfram Wind, a Norwegian offshore wind farms developer, as the preferred supplier for their Nordseecluster offshore wind project in the German North Sea. The Nordseecluster project is a significant initiative that consists of four offshore wind farms, with a combined capacity of 1.6GW, located close to the existing 332MW Nordsee One wind farm, which is co-developed and jointly operated by RWE and Northland Power. Havfram Wind will be responsible for the transport and installation of at least 104 Vestas offshore wind turbines with a 15MW capacity each.
Havfram Wind intends to use its newly commissioned NG20000X Jack-Up vessel featuring a 3,250-tonne crane for the project. The Nordseecluster project is planned to be developed in two phases, with the initial stage including two wind farms, N-3.8 and N-3.7, with a combined capacity of 660MW, and is currently in the permit application phase. Havfram Wind is expected to commence turbine installation at Nordseecluster A starting from 2026, with commercial operations expected in early 2027.
The second phase of the project (Nordseecluster B) includes the other two wind farms, N-3.6 and N-3.5, which will add an additional 900MW of capacity. Nordseecluster B is expected to commence commercial operations in early 2029. RWE and Northland Power intend to bid and exercise their step-in rights in this year's German offshore wind auctions. When the Nordseecluster is fully operational at the beginning of 2029, it will generate enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of 1,600,000 German households every year.
Northland Power Nordseecluster Managing Director Benjamin Miethling said that the project would achieve substantial economies of scale and leverage synergies during the development, construction, and operation of the four wind farms. He also noted that their preferred supplier agreement with Havfram Wind, which encompasses all four projects, attests to the efficiency of concentrating activities such as procurement. Havfram Wind CEO Even Larsen expressed his pride in the trust RWE and Northland Power have placed in the company and that participating in such a project of scale is a milestone for their development as a pure play offshore wind company.
