RWE has secured two offshore wind sites in the North Sea, with a combined capacity of 4 GW, in the latest auction held by the German Federal Network Agency. The sites, N-9.1 and N-9.2, are located between 110 km and 115 km northwest of Borkum island, near the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone. RWE’s winning bid for these sites amounted to €250 million.
Each site is capable of supporting offshore wind farms with a capacity of 2 GW. RWE has expressed interest in partnering with TotalEnergies to develop these projects, with final investment decisions expected by 2027 for N-9.1 and 2028 for N-9.2. Offshore construction is slated to begin in 2029 and 2030, with full commissioning anticipated by 2031 and 2032, respectively.
The auction in August 2024 offered three areas, N-9.1, N-9.2, and N-9.3, with a total capacity of 5.5 GW. Preliminary studies by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) provided essential data on marine life, subsoil conditions, and wind and oceanographic patterns, which will guide RWE’s planning.
These projects are guaranteed grid connections by 2030 for N-9.1 and 2031 for N-9.2. The licenses have a 25-year duration, with an option for a further 10-year extension.
RWE, currently operating 19 wind farms, including six offshore in Germany, is also developing several large offshore wind projects, including the Sofia wind farm in the UK, the Thor project in Denmark, the OranjeWind project in the Netherlands in collaboration with TotalEnergies, and the Nordseecluster in Germany. RWE aims to triple its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 GW to 10 GW by 2030.