A ceremony at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire has marked the completion of two offshore substations for Phase A of the Nordseecluster wind project off Germany.
The collaboration between RWE, which holds 51%, and Norges Bank Investment Management, with 49%, will now see the units depart by the end of the month for an eight-day barge journey to a site 50 kilometres north of Juist.
The company said each topside measures about 40 metres in length and 22 metres in height, with weights of roughly 1800 tonnes and 2500 tonnes, and that foundations for both structures are already installed.
RWE added that the substations will collect electricity, increase voltage and transmit power to the grid operator’s converter station while also enabling remote monitoring and control.
Nordseecluster A has 660MW and is due online in early 2027, while Nordseecluster B will add 900MW from 2029.
Tobias Keitel, chief technology officer at RWE Offshore Wind, said: “It is impressive to see these two large topsides ready for installation in the German North Sea.”
Keitel added: “With the foundations already in place, everything is prepared for the upcoming ‘wedding at sea’ – the moment when the topsides are successfully installed on the foundations.”
Frédéric Grizaud, senior vice president marine renewable energies business unit at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “We would like to thank RWE for their confidence in us.”
Grizaud added: “Delivering two offshore substations simultaneously is a major achievement for our teams and reflects both their commitment and technical expertise.”