The FINANCIAL — The Arkona offshore wind farm in the German part of the Baltic Sea has supplied the first electricity into the German electricity grid.
The 385 MW project, operated by E.ON in partnership with Equinor, can when completed, deliver power to approximately 400.000 German households. After the first of 60 turbines now being online, further wind turbines will be launched into operation.
The Arkona project is located 35 kilometers northeast of the island of Rügen, Germany. The wind farm will have an output of 385 megawatts (MW) and supply around 400,000 households with renewable energy. The investment is 1.2 billion euros. Arkona saves up to 1.2 million tons of CO2 annually compared to conventionally generated electricity.
Final stage of construction
The Arkona project is in the final stage of construction. The offshore substation and all 60 foundations were installed ahead of schedule. The cabling to connect the turbines to the offshore substation was also installed earlier than planned. Currently, the wind turbines consisting of towers, nacelles and blades are mounted offshore. At this point of time, 44 wind turbines are installed. The aim is that all turbines shall be installed by this year and feed renewable energy into the grid.
Extensive offshore wind portfolio
Equinor has contributed actively in the development of the project through secondees and the company’s competence especially within marine operations and structures, including corrosion protection.
60 turbines of the six-megawatt class by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will be installed. Arkona is a 50/50 joint venture between German utility E.ON and the Norwegian energy company Equinor.
Equinor’s current offshore wind portfolio has the capacity to provide more than 1 million European homes with renewable energy. In addition to participating in the Arkona offshore wind farm, Equinor also holds a position in the Baltyk II and III wind projects in the Polish part of the Baltic sea. In the UK Equinor operates the Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon and Hywind Scotland offshore wind farms.
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