Image source: RWE

RWE has completed the installation of two offshore substations at the Nordseecluster A offshore wind farm site, located approximately 50 km north of Juist island in the German North Sea.

The substations were installed using the Gulliver floating heavy-lift crane operated by SCALDIS. The units, weighing around 1,800 tonnes and 2,500 tonnes respectively, were manufactured by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, before being transported to the site by sea.

According to RWE, each substation will collect electricity generated by offshore wind turbines and increase voltage levels for transmission to the onshore grid.

RWE offshore wind chief technology officer Tobias Keitel said: “At the ‘double wedding’, the two heaviest components were installed – a visible sign that we are making excellent progress with the work at sea.”

The project design includes two substations due to its dual grid connection configuration. Foundation installation has been completed, while cable-laying is ongoing and turbine installation is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. Full commissioning of Nordseecluster A is expected in early 2027, with a total capacity of 660 MW.

A second phase, Nordseecluster B, is planned to add a further 900 MW from 60 turbines starting in 2029. Once fully operational, the combined development is expected to supply electricity equivalent to around 1.6 million German households.

The Nordseecluster is jointly developed by RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) (49%).

Source: yahoo.com