EnBW completes foundation installations at 960MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm

EnBW has announced the completion of foundation installations for the 960MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. The installations were carried out over three months using the Thialf, one of the world’s largest floating cranes, operated by Heerema. During this period, the Thialf drove the monopiles into the seabed, setting the stage for the next construction phase.

Each of the 64 steel foundations measures 70 meters in length, has a 9.2-meter diameter, and weighs 1,350 tonnes. Transition pieces have been placed atop the monopiles to serve as connectors to the wind turbine towers. The He Dreiht wind farm is located 85km northwest of Borkum and 110km west of Heligoland.

The foundation installation phase involved more than 500 workers at peak times and utilized 60 ships. Starting in spring 2025, EnBW will begin installing 15MW wind turbines supplied by Vestas. The wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, providing enough electricity to power 1.1 million households.

EnBW secured the contract for the He Dreiht project in Germany’s first offshore tender in 2017. The project will operate without state subsidies.

In addition to the He Dreiht project, EnBW began constructing a 72MW hybrid energy park in Gundelsheim, Germany, in July 2024. This solar/wind hybrid facility, which includes a battery storage system, had its groundbreaking ceremony attended by local dignitaries. The solar segment, currently under construction, will feature 110,000 solar modules with a capacity of 60.5MW, sufficient to power 23,900 households.