RWE has installed the world’s first offshore wind turbine featuring a CO2-reduced steel tower and recyclable rotor blades at Denmark’s Thor offshore wind farm.
The 1.1 GW project, located off Denmark’s west coast, will include 72 turbines of up to 15 MW each, with installation currently underway and completion expected by the end of 2026.
RWE said half of the turbines will use towers made from lower-emission steel, while 40 turbines will be equipped with recyclable rotor blades supplied by Siemens Gamesa.
“Offshore wind already has one of the lowest life-cycle carbon footprints of power generation technologies. At RWE, our ambition is to go even further. By using towers produced with greener steel and recyclable rotor blades, we are further reducing the carbon footprint and taking a significant step towards fully circular offshore wind,” said Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Executive Officer RWE Offshore Wind.
“This world-first is about moving circularity from promise to practice. RecyclableBlade is designed to enable composite materials to be recovered and recycled, addressing a growing end of life challenge. Together with GreenerTower, which lowers the carbon footprint of steel and reduces overall turbine emissions by around 20 percent, we are proving that sustainability can be delivered at scale in offshore wind, with safety, quality and certainty,” added Marc Becker, Senior Vice President of Siemens Gamesa Offshore.
RWE said the GreenerTower steel used in the project is produced with at least 63% lower CO₂ emissions than conventional steel, while the recyclable blades use a resin that allows composite materials to be separated and reused.
The Thor wind farm has already delivered electricity to the Danish grid, with full operations expected in 2027, when it will be capable of powering the equivalent of more than one million households.
The project is being developed by RWE, which holds a 51% stake, alongside Norges Bank Investment Management, and forms part of the company’s broader offshore wind portfolio, which includes projects under construction in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.