Vattenfall builds Germany’s largest offshore wind farm

Vattenfall has made the final investment decision on the Nordlicht I and II offshore wind farms. BASF secured access to long-term supply of renewable electricity.   

Construction of the Nordlicht I and II wind farms is planned to begin in 2026, and Nordlicht I is set to become Germany’s largest offshore wind project. The wind farms are expected to be operational in 2028. 

“The Nordlicht offshore wind cluster makes a significant milestone in the path to enabling fossil freedom. By accelerating Germany’s energy transition and supporting industrial decarbonisation, it will provide clean, reliable energy while driving innovation and sustainability in the sector. We look forward to realising this important project in close collaboration with our supply chain partners,” says Helene Biström, Head of Business Area Wind at Vattenfall.

Vattenfall will repurchase the shares in the Nordlicht cluster that BASF acquired in 2024. At the same time, BASF secured access to long-term supply of renewable electricity, continuing the collaboration. This agreement will secure renewable power for BASF’s chemical production in Europe at a time when such additional supply will be needed.

The Nordlicht wind cluster will have a net capacity of more than 1.6 GW, with Nordlicht I becoming the largest offshore wind farm project in Germany. As part of Vattenfall’s sustainability efforts, both wind farms will feature wind turbines towers partially made with low-emission steel, reducing their overall carbon footprint by 16 percent.[1]   

The final investment decision for Nordlicht II has been made on a conditional basis, pending the receipt of the necessary permit.  

About the Nordlicht wind cluster

  • Located 85 kilometres north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea.
  • Consists of two separate sites: Nordlicht 1 with a capacity of around 980 MW and Nordlicht 2 with around 630 MW.
  • Once fully operational, electricity production is expected to total around 6 TWh annually.

For further information, please contact:
Johan Sennerö, Vattenfall Media Relations, +46 730 46 40 45, johan.senneroe@vattenfall.com

[1] Vattenfall have a conditional agreement with Vestas for the supply and installation of 112 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines for the Nordlicht I and II offshore wind farms. The 16 % CO2 reduction mentioned is based on an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) of the steel, which will be produced at an intensity of 0.9 t CO2 per ton of steel. In comparison, the standard steel used for Vestas’ tower production has an intensity of 2.6 t CO2 per ton of steel.  

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