RWE has selected Siemens Energy and HSM Offshore Energy as preferred suppliers for the electrical transmission system and entered into early works agreements in relation to the construction of the 1 GW Thor offshore wind farm in Denmark.
Siemens Energy was selected as the preferred supplier for the design construction, and installation of the onshore substation, while HSM Offshore Energy will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning of the offshore substation and its jacket foundation.
RWE purchased the land in the municipality of Lemvig where the onshore substation will be located and carried out ground conditions and archaeological surveys.
Siemens Energy will commence design works, followed by the procurement of main equipment and the submission of permit applications.
The work, expected to begin in spring 2023, will be carried out by the company’s Offshore Center of Competence, located in Ballerup, with the help of MT MT Højgaard Danmark who will be responsible for civil engineering and construction works.
The green electricity produced by the offshore wind farm will be transported through export cables to the newbuild onshore substation Volder Søndervang. A corresponding grid connection agreement was already signed between RWE and Energinet in April 2022.
In February, Energinet issued a contract notice for the procurement of the onshore export cable section for the Thor offshore wind farm.
When it comes to the offshore substation and its jacket foundation, HSM Offshore Energy created a design that could reduce the use of structural steel and the energy needed during manufacturing with steel sourcing and fabrication in Europe.
Installation of the jacket foundation in water depth of up to 27 metres and installation of the substation are expected to take place in 2025, followed by the commissioning and testing of the unit in 2026.
RWE, which was announced as the winner of the Danish tender for the Thor offshore wind farm at the beginning of December 2021, will set up a service base at the port of Thorsminde.
The developer is planning that the new service station will be fully operational from 2026 onward to support the wind farm for at least 30 years.
Once fully commissioned in 2027, the 1 GW project will become Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm and will be capable of producing enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of more than one million Danish households.