Vestas signs agreement with BASF and Vattenfall for Nordlicht projects

The companies are also underlining their ambitions to reduce their carbon dioxide equivalent emissions along the entire value chain. The top sections of 56 out of 112 towers will be made with low-emission steel, accounting for 24% of the mass of the heavy steel plates used for the wind farm area and leading to a 16% reduction in the towers’ overall carbon footprint.

The low-emission steel is fabricated using 100% steel scrap melted in an electric arc furnace powered by 100% wind energy, reducing the carbon footprint by 66% compared to heavy steel plates made via a conventional steelmaking route.

“We are pleased to have signed this conditional agreement to deliver our state-of-the-art V236-15.0 MW offshore wind turbine for the Nordlicht projects. Vattenfall, BASF and Vestas share the ambition to rapidly expand wind projects and to decarbonise the energy market in Europe, and Nordlicht will play a crucial role in delivering Germany’s energy transition targets. Vattenfall and BASF have a lot of experience in offshore wind projects, and we are looking forward to build this project together with our partners,” said Nils de Baar, President of Vestas Northern and Central Europe.

"Wind energy is an essential cornerstone on the path to fossil freedom, which moves society forward. With Vestas, we now have a partner for our Nordlicht projects at our side, with whom we share the same values in terms of sustainable energy solutions. The wind turbine supply and service contracts are an important milestone for us and we look forward to continuing to work with Vestas as one of the leading wind turbine manufacturers," commented Catrin Jung, Head of Offshore Wind at Vattenfall.

“Renewable energies play a key role in our efforts to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions as soon as possible. This agreement is another important milestone in the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind projects and shows our clear commitment to the European wind power supply chain. Sustainability is an integral part of our strategy, and I am delighted that by using low-emission steel, we are also demonstrating that sustainable products are the future,” added Horatio Evers, Managing Director at BASF Renewable Energy GmbH.

The Nordlicht wind farm area is located 85 km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea and consists of two separate locations: Nordlicht 1 and Nordlicht 2. Once fully operational, electricity production is expected to total around 6 TWh/y, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 1.6 million German households.

The construction of Nordlicht 1 and 2 is scheduled to start in 2026. According to the current state of planning, the wind turbines are to be installed in 2027 (Nordlicht 1) and 2028 (Nordlicht 2). The wind farms are expected to be fully operational in 2028. If and when the agreement with Vattenfall and BASF materialises in firm and unconditional orders for Vestas, the company will disclose these in accordance with its disclosure policy.

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/18062024/vestas-signs-agreement-with-basf-and-vattenfall-for-nordlicht-projects/