The first of 72 monopiles has been installed at RWE’s 1100MW Thor offshore wind farm in the Danish North Sea.
The monopile foundation was brought from the heavy-duty terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, to the construction site at sea.
This is located in the Danish North Sea, about 22 kilometers off the west coast of Jutland.
The installation was carried out by the special ship “Les Alizés”. A total of five monopiles are transported per load.
They are around 100 metres long and weigh up to 1,500 tonnes each.
Sven Utermöhlen, chief executive RWE Offshore Wind, said: “With Thor, we are building Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date.
“After years of planning and preparation, the installation of the first monopile is a symbolic moment and great success for the entire RWE team.
“My thanks go to all the colleagues involved as well as to our partners for their contribution.
“The construction of a wind farm of this size is a good opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in the construction of valuable offshore wind projects.”
The secondary steel structures for the foundations will be handled in the Danish port of Thyborøn, which is also the home port for the service vessels and the control centre for the overwashing of logistics and shipping traffic during the entire construction phase.
Until the turbine towers are installed, the foundations are protected from the harsh conditions at sea by reusable covers .
As a further contribution to sustainability, 36 of the turbine towers will be made of lower-carbon steel and 40 turbines will be equipped with recyclable rotor blades.
The wind turbines are to be erected from the port in Esbjerg, Denmark, from 2026.
After commissioning in 2027, the Thor wind farm will produce enough electricity to supply more than one million Danish households in a climate-friendly way.
The wind farm’s operation and maintenance plan envisages the creation of 50 to 60 jobs in a new service building in the port of Thorsminde, Denmark.
The new building is already under construction and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.