Category: Off-Grid

• EnBW has inaugurated He Dreiht, Germany’s largest offshore wind farm, as the 960 MW project moves toward full commissioning in the North Sea.
• The €2.4 billion project received no state funding and relies on long-term power purchase agreements with major industrial and technology companies.

EnBW has inaugurated He Dreiht, Germany’s largest offshore wind farm, as the 960 MW project moves toward full commissioning in the North Sea. Located more than 50 miles northwest of Borkum and about 68 miles west of Heligoland, He Dreiht comprises 64 Vestas 15 MW turbines.

“He Dreiht is the largest single investment made by EnBW in renewables,” said Georg Stamatelopoulos, Chairman of the Board of Management at EnBW. “We need more projects like He Dreiht, which deliver affordable, secure and clean electricity.”

EnBW secured the project in 2017 during Germany’s first offshore wind auction round without receiving state funding. The company financed the project through long-term power purchase agreements and invested approximately €2.4 billion in its development.

EnBW holds a 50.1% stake through the project company. Allianz Global Investors, AIP Management and Norges Bank Investment Management hold the remaining 49.9% through a consortium.

The PPAs provide participating companies with long-term electricity price stability and planning certainty. Contractual partners include Evonik, Google, Telekom subsidiary PASM, Fraport, Bosch, Salzgitter, SHS Stahl-Holding Saar, Deutsche Bahn and DHL Group.

The project also targets rising electricity demand from digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Its long-term supply agreements will provide renewable electricity to industrial, technology, transport and logistics companies.

Construction began in May 2024 in the North Sea. Each turbine stands on a 142-metre hub and uses a 236-metre rotor that sweeps approximately 44,000 square metres during each rotation.

TenneT is responsible for connecting the wind farm to Germany’s electricity grid. The project sends electricity to shore through an offshore platform and two submarine cables.

He Dreiht will enter regular operation gradually. Engineers will connect, test and commission individual turbines before bringing them fully online. The first turbines already feed electricity into the grid, while the remaining units will follow as commissioning progresses.

The project forms part of EnBW’s wider renewable energy expansion. The company currently operates around 8 GW of installed renewable capacity, more than twice its 2018 level. Renewable energy now represents more than 70% of EnBW’s total installed generation capacity.

EnBW is also developing additional offshore projects, including the 1 GW Dreekant project in the German North Sea and the 2.9 GW Morven project in Scotland. The company expects renewables to account for around 80% of its generation portfolio by 2030.

Germany had approximately 10.8 GW of operational offshore wind capacity by mid-2026 and has set a long-term target of 70 GW by 2045. The Federal Cabinet has also adopted amendments to the Offshore Wind Energy Act that introduce two-way Contracts for Difference and extend the standard operating period for new offshore wind installations from 25 to 35 years.

The updated framework has faced criticism from industry stakeholders, who have called for further policy adjustments to support the investment required for Germany’s offshore wind expansion.