Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Powers Up Its First Turbine

Germany has achieved a major milestone after the first turbine at EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore wind farm produced electricity and delivered its first kilowatt-hour into the national grid.

The turbine began generating power on the evening of 25 November, 2025.

EnBW confirmed that 27 out of the planned 64 turbines have been installed so far, with all units expected to be commissioned by mid-2026. When fully operational, the wind farm will have a total capacity of 960 megawatts, enough to supply around 1.1 million households.

Peter Heydecker, a senior EnBW official, said the first power generation is an important achievement and a key step toward Germany’s climate goals. He added that EnBW has been involved in planning and developing offshore wind farms across Germany and Europe for more than 15 years.

The project features Vestas’ 15 MW turbines, which are being used commercially for the first time. According to Nils de Baar, the company’s regional president, the new turbine model introduces advanced technology that increases electricity output per unit. He pointed out that such efficiency improvements help strengthen energy security and support economic growth.

Each rotation of the turbine can provide enough electricity for four households in a day. The turbine is 142 metres tall, and its 236-metre rotor covers an area about the size of six football fields. By comparison, EnBW’s first offshore wind farm, Baltic 1, used 2.3 MW turbines in 2010.

Internal cabling for He Dreiht was completed in August. All turbines are connected to a converter platform operated by transmission system provider TenneT, where electricity is converted from AC to DC before being transmitted to shore via two high-voltage direct current cables.

The project, located about 85 km northwest of Borkum and 110 km west of Heligoland, is being built without state funding. EnBW’s offshore office in Hamburg is overseeing its construction.

A partner consortium including Allianz Capital Partners, AIP, and Norges Bank Investment Management holds a 49.9% stake in the development. The total investment is estimated at €2.4 billion.

References: electrek, bairdmaritime

Source: Maritime Shipping News