BASF and Vattenfall have Executed a Contract with Vestas for the Most Recent 15 MW Offshore Wind Turbines in Germany.

Vattenfall and BASF have entered into supply and service agreements with Vestas for 112 V236-15.0 MW wind turbines. These advanced turbines are designated for the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind projects in the German North Sea, near Borkum Island, which are owned by Vattenfall and BASF. Starting in 2028, these turbines will generate enough electricity to power approximately 1.6 million households. Additionally, portions of the turbine towers will be constructed using low-emission steel, substantially lowering their carbon footprint.

The turbines will be installed in the Nordlicht wind farm area, with 68 turbines allocated for Nordlicht 1 and 44 turbines for Nordlicht 2. Boasting a nominal output of 15 MW, the V236 is currently the most powerful wind turbine available in the offshore market.

Nils de Baar, President of Vestas Northern and Central Europe, says: “We are pleased to have signed this conditional contract to deliver our state-of-the-art offshore wind turbine for the Nordlicht project. Vattenfall, BASF and Vestas share the ambition to rapidly expand wind projects and to decarbonize the energy market in Europe, and Nordlicht will play a crucial role in delivering Germany’s energy transition targets. Vattenfall has a lot of experience in offshore wind projects, and we are looking forward to build this project together with our partners.”

Catrin Jung, Head of Offshore Wind at Vattenfall, comments: “Wind energy is an essential cornerstone on the path to fossil freedom, which moves society forward. With Vestas, we now have a partner for our Nordlicht projects at our side, with whom we share the same values in terms of sustainable energy solutions. The wind turbine supply and service contracts are an important milestone for us, and we look forward to continuing to work with Vestas as one of the leading wind turbine manufacturers.”

Horatio Evers, Managing Director at BASF Renewable Energy GmbH, adds: “Renewable energies play a key role in our efforts to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions as soon as possible. This agreement is another important milestone in the Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind projects and shows our clear commitment to the European wind power supply chain. Sustainability is an integral part of our strategy, and I am delighted that by using low-emission steel, we are also demonstrating that sustainable products are the future.”

The CO2 footprint is substantially reduced by low-emission steel structures.

The companies are also emphasizing their goals to decrease their CO2 emissions throughout the complete value chain. The carbon footprint of the towers will be reduced by 16 percent as a result of the incorporation of low-emission steel into the upper sections of 56 out of 112 towers. This will account for 24 percent of the bulk of the heavy steel plates used in the wind farm area. In comparison to heavy steel ingots produced through a conventional steelmaking process, low-emission steel is produced by melting 100 percent steel scrap in an electric arc furnace that is fueled entirely by wind energy. This process reduces the carbon burden by 66 percent.

The Nordlicht wind farm area

The Nordlicht wind farm area, situated 85 kilometers north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea, comprises two distinct locations: Nordlicht 1 with a capacity of approximately 980 megawatts and Nordlicht 2 with around 630 megawatts. Once fully operational, the combined electricity production is projected to be around 6 terawatt hours (TWh) annually. Pending the final investment decision, construction of Nordlicht 1 and 2 is slated to commence in 2026. According to current plans, the wind turbines for Nordlicht 1 will be erected in 2027, followed by Nordlicht 2 in 2028, with both wind farms expected to be fully operational by 2028.

Partnership of Vattenfall and BASF

BASF holds a 49 percent stake in the Nordlicht 1 and 2 wind farm projects. Located in the German North Sea, the Nordlicht wind project is being developed without state subsidies and boasts a total installed capacity of 1.6 gigawatts, making it the largest offshore wind farm project Vattenfall has undertaken to date. Vattenfall is responsible for developing and constructing the Nordlicht sites and plans to utilize its share of the future electricity generation to provide fossil-free power to its customers in Germany. Meanwhile, BASF will use nearly half of the electricity produced to power its chemical production sites across Europe, particularly in Ludwigshafen.

Source: BASF