Inter-array cables, Nordlicht wind farms, Germany
inter-array cables
Vattenfall develops the Nordlicht sites and has awarded several contracts for the construction of both wind farms. Jan De Nul won the contract to install inter-array cables that transmit electricity between offshore wind turbines. Both wind farms combined, Jan De Nul will install 196 kilometres of cables and ensure their connection to 112 wind turbines. We will use our cable installation vessel ‘Connector’ for the job.
Wouter Vermeersch, Director Subsea Cables at Jan De Nul:
Our offshore installation vessels will be omnipresent in German waters the next few years. Nordlicht is the sixth cable project for offshore renewable energy we have lined up in Germany. Adding to the installation of 107 foundations on Borkum Riffgrund 3 & Gode Wind 3 in 2024, Jan De Nul strengthens its position as a key player in the development of offshore green energy in Germany. It reaffirms our company's position as ‘World Builders shaping water, land and energy.’
Nordlicht 1 and 2 in numbers
Did you know?
- The Nordlicht wind farms are built without government subsidies.
- Vattenfall owns 51% of the project and is responsible to develop and construct the Nordlicht sites, with BASF as a key partner owning 49% of the projects.
- At the start of 2025, Jan De Nul has six subsea cable projects for offshore wind energy lined up in Germany.
The project in detail
The Nordlicht wind park zone is located 85 kilometres north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea and consists of two separate sites: Nordlicht 1 with a capacity of 980 megawatts and Nordlicht 2 with 630 megawatts. Pending a final investment decision, which is expected in 2025, offshore construction for Nordlicht 1 and 2 is anticipated to begin in 2026, with full operational status expected by 2028.
Once fully operational, their combined production is expected to be around 6 terawatt hours (TWh) per year, equal to the electricity consumption of 1.7 million German households. This represents significant progress in Germany's target of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.
