– RWE has installed the first offshore turbine foundation at the Sofia offshore wind farm, their largest offshore wind project to date with a capacity of 1.4 GW.
– The wind farm will feature 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW offshore wind turbines and is expected to generate enough electricity to power 1.2 million UK homes.
– The project is located on Dogger Bank, 195 km from the UK’s north east coast, with operations and maintenance activities to be based at RWE’s Grimsby Hub.
RWE has reached a significant milestone in the construction of its Sofia offshore wind farm by installing the project’s first turbine foundation. With a capacity of 1.4 GW, Sofia will be RWE’s largest offshore wind farm upon completion in 2026. The wind farm, located on Dogger Bank, will have 100 foundations covering a total area of 593 km2.
This installation marks the beginning of offshore construction within the wind farm array itself. The project involves the use of 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW offshore wind turbines, with 44 turbines equipped with recyclable blades. The wind turbines, once completed, will stand at 252 m tall and have a 108 m blade made of carbon and fiberglass material.
The operations and maintenance activities for Sofia offshore wind farm will be based at RWE’s offshore wind operations base ‘Grimsby Hub’. Van Oord, an international marine contractor, is assisting in the installation of the foundations using the vessel Aeolus. The construction of Sofia is a collaboration between RWE and Van Oord, marking the fifth major offshore wind project delivered by the two companies.
The completion of Sofia offshore wind farm will demonstrate RWE’s expertise in delivering offshore wind energy around the globe. The wind farm will generate enough electricity to power approximately 1.2 million UK homes and contribute significantly to the renewable energy sector.