German grid company Amprion has been cleared to start offshore construction for the 900MW DolWin4 and 900MW BorWin4 offshore wind grid connections in the North Sea after securing state approval.
The Lower Saxony State Authority for Road Construction and Transport has given the nod to begin work in a 34km area in the Lower Saxony coastal sea.
Amprion said it will carry out drilling to lay cables across the island of Norderney as early as the summer.
It aims to complete four of 12 ducts by the time it completes the operation in September.
In addition to the horizontal drilling, the planning approval decisions also include the cable installation between the coast and the 12 nautical mile limit.
Amprion said the horizontal drilling technique will reduce impacts.
DolWin4 and BorWin4 are scheduled to go into operation in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
The systems will feature 60km and 125km cables from converter stations offshore to landfall in the Hilgenriedersiel area. A further 155km cable stretch will connect to the onshore Hanekenfähr substation in Lingen.