German utility RWE has been given the go-ahead to start construction of the Nordseecluster B offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. This allows the company to implement the second phase of its 1.6GW Nordseecluster.

According to Tobias Keitel, CTO of RWE Offshore Wind, construction of the project at sea can begin next year.

“Our portfolio already includes six offshore wind farms located off the German coasts. With the Nordseecluster, we continue to drive the expansion of offshore wind energy. This is a positive development for both the energy transition in Germany and for RWE,” he added.

The Nordseecluster is being built 46 km north of the German island of Borkum and 50 km north of the German island of Juist. The first phase, which is already under construction, will have a total capacity of 660MW.

All the foundations have already been installed, and work on setting up the 44 wind turbines is due to begin this summer. Nordseecluster A will be fully connected to the grid by early 2027.

With Nordseecluster B, a further 900MW of capacity will be added. Production of some components has already begun. Installation of the foundations is scheduled to start next year, followed by the installation of the 60 turbines in 2028. The project is scheduled to commence commercial operations in early 2029.

Together, the wind farms in the Nordseecluster will generate around 6.5TWh of climate-friendly electricity annually. Nordseecluster is a joint offshore wind project between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%).