Vattenfall has completed the installation of all 68 transition pieces at its 980 MW Nordlicht I offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, bringing the project's foundation construction phase to a close ahead of schedule.
The milestone follows the installation of the final monopile at the end of September, completing the foundations that will support the project's wind turbines.
The foundations were manufactured by EEW Special Pipe Constructions and CS WIND Offshore, while DEME handled offshore transportation and installation of the monopiles and transition pieces.
With the foundation works completed, construction is progressing across other parts of the Nordlicht supply chain.
TKF is manufacturing cables for the project, while Vestas has begun producing turbine towers, with the first tower sections already delivered to Esbjerg.
Production of turbine blades and nacelles is expected to begin in the coming months, while preparations for the neighboring Nordlicht II project are also progressing according to plan.
Located approximately 85 kilometers north of the island of Borkum, Nordlicht I will have an installed capacity of around 980 MW, making it Germany's largest individual offshore wind farm.
The project forms part of Vattenfall's Nordlicht cluster, which also includes the planned 630-MW Nordlicht II development, bringing combined capacity to more than 1.6 GW.
First electricity from the Nordlicht cluster is expected in 2028, with full commissioning scheduled for 2029. Once fully operational, the cluster is expected to generate approximately six terawatt-hours of electricity annually.
Vattenfall is also incorporating environmental measures into construction, including the use of low-emission steel in parts of the turbine towers and measures to reduce impacts on the marine environment during foundation installation.
Monitoring of birds and marine mammals is being conducted throughout construction, using radar, camera and acoustic systems to gather data on wildlife activity around the development.