RWE’s German wind farm given the green light
Published by Bella Weetch,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
The green light has been confirmed for RWE’s offshore wind farm, Kaskasi. At the beginning of December 2020, the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency granted planning permission for the 342 MW wind farm. This makes Kaskasi (official name: Kaskasi II) one of the first offshore wind farms in Germany that has received planning permission under the new wind at sea law, following successful participation in the auction held under the so called interim system.
A component of the permit is pilot wind turbines, where innovative technologies will be tested. The wind farm is set to go online in summer 2022. After starting commercial operation in 4Q2022, Kaskasi will be able to supply the equivalent of approximately 400 000 households per year with green electricity.
The decision to invest in the Kaskasi offshore wind farm, which will be built 35 km north of the island of Heligoland, Germany, was made in early 2020. Suppliers for the main components have already been selected and some have already started fabrication. The wind farm will comprise of a total of 38 wind turbines (type: SG 8.0-167 DD). Each turbine will have an installed capacity of up to 9 MW. The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations. The offshore work is set to start in 3Q2021. RWE will use the ‘vibro pile driving’ installation method, which is an alternative to the conventional method of hammering monopiles into the seabed. This installation method could reduce installation time and noise emissions during construction.
In addition, collars will be mounted at three selected foundations. The ‘Collared Monopile’ was designed based on a patent developed by RWE and will be installed to improve the structural integrity of the entire foundation.
RWE plans further growth in offshore wind
Kaskasi is RWE’s sixth wind farm off the German coast. The company operates the offshore wind farms Nordsee Ost (295 MW) and Amrumbank West (302 MW), also off the coast of Heligoland, as well as Arkona, which has an installed capacity of 385 MW (RWE share 50%) and is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea. In addition, RWE holds shares in the wind farms Nordsee One and Alpha Ventus.
RWE is a large operator of offshore wind farms and the foundation for further growth has also been laid. In addition to Kaskasi in Germany, the company is currently constructing the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm off the British coast, with an installed capacity of 857 MW (RWE share: 509 MW). This wind farm is set to start commercial operations in 1Q2022. Overall, the company has a development pipeline of offshore projects of over 7 GW, not including tenders the company is currently considering.
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Energy Global’s Winter 2020 issue
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/23122020/rwes-german-wind-farm-given-the-green-light/
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