Vattenfall has begun installing monopiles and transition components at Nordlicht I, its 980MW offshore wind farm located 85 kilometres north of Borkum in the German North Sea.
In a September 30 update, Vattenfall said it expects the wind farm to become operational in 2028. The company expects it will become Germany’s largest individual offshore wind farm.
Nordlicht II, with 44 turbines and a capacity of 630 MW, is now scheduled to enter operation in 2029. Vattenfall’s January and July announcements had put both wind farms on a 2028 timetable.
Vattenfall expects the two wind farms will generate about six TWh of electricity annually, an amount matching the present yearly use of around 1.7 million German households. The combined cluster will have 112 turbines.
Offshore construction at Nordlicht I began on July 1, 2026, when DEME installed the first monopile. Vattenfall’s latest update stated that vessels are travelling from ports to the construction site as foundation installation continues.
Nordlicht I will use 68 monopiles and 68 transition pieces. Each of the monopiles measures up to 80 metres long and weighs up to 1,300 tonnes, while the transition pieces are 23.7 metres high and weigh about 362 tonnes apiece.
DEME's work on both wind farms covers transporting and installing the foundations, as well as handling the transition pieces. EEW Special Pipe Constructions manufactures the monopiles while CSWind supplies the transition pieces from Aalborg.
A separate contract calls for Jan De Nul to install 196 kilometres of inter-array cable, connecting turbines across the two wind farms. Vattenfall said 15MW Vestas turbines will be installed above the foundations.
Seabed preparation included surveys for unexploded ordnance. Vattenfall said three World War II-era sea mines found during survey work were detonated at the site in September 2025.
