RWE has taken a step in the construction of the 1.1 GW Thor offshore wind farm in the Danish North Sea through the installation of the first of 72 monopile foundations.
The monopiles were shipped from the heavy-lift terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, to the Thor construction site in the Danish North Sea, located approximately 22 km off the west coast of Jutland, and installed by the vessel Les Alizés. Five monopiles can be loaded in one shipment. The monopiles are around 100 m in length and weigh up to 1500 t each. This is roughly equivalent to the weight of 1000 small cars.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, responded: “With Thor, we are constructing Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. The installation of the first monopile is a highly symbolic moment and an achievement for the entire RWE team after years of planning and preparation. Building a project of this size and scale is a great opportunity to demonstrate expertise in delivering valuable offshore wind farms around the globe.”
Secondary steel structures for the foundations are being handled from the Danish Port of Thyborøn, which is the offshore construction base for Thor and home port for the project’s service vessels. The control centre for managing marine logistics and traffic throughout the offshore construction phase is also based in Thyborøn.
To protect the monopiles from the harsh conditions at sea until the turbine towers are mounted, innovative reused hard covers will be installed. As a further sustainable feature, 36 of the turbines will be equipped with CO2-reduced steel towers and 40 turbines will use recyclable rotor blades.
The turbine installation works are scheduled to be carried out from the Port of Esbjerg in Denmark, starting in 2026. When fully operational in 2027, Thor offshore wind farm will be capable of producing enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of more than one million Danish households. The wind farm’s operations and maintenance plan expect to create 50 – 60 local jobs in a new service building at the Port of Thorsminde. Construction of the new RWE service building is already underway and is expected to be finalised by the end of 2025.
RWE is one of the world’s leading players in the offshore wind sector and has more than 20 years of experience in the development, construction and efficient operation of offshore wind farms. The company already has 19 offshore wind farms in operation and is currently building more. At the end of March, RWE announced that Norges Bank Investment Management would acquire a 49% stake in the Thor and Nordseecluster offshore wind projects.
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global’s Spring 2025 issue
The first issue of 2025 is here! The Spring issue of Energy Global starts with a guest comment by Tim Reid from UK Export Finance about expanding operations overseas before a regional report from Aurora Energy Research no the effect of negative electricity prices in Europe. Other interesting topics covered in the issue include electrical infrastructure, sit surveys & mapping, developments in solar, and much more. Featuring contributions from key industry leaders such as EM&I, DeterTech, and Global Underwater Hub, among others, don’t miss the valuable insights available in the Spring 2025 issue.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/30042025/rwe-installs-first-foundation-at-thor-offshore-wind-farm/
#RWE #installs #foundation #Thor #offshore #wind #farm