Skyborn Renewables has reached the financial close for the Gennaker offshore wind farm with over EUR 3 billion secured, advancing the largest offshore wind farm project in the German Baltic Sea from development into construction.
Located in the Baltic Sea off Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Gennaker will deliver 976.5 MW of capacity from 63 turbines, generating approximately 3.8 TWh annually, enough clean electricity for around one million households. Construction is underway, with commercial operation targeted for 2028.
"This milestone was made possible by a consortium of 16 commercial lenders and the European Investment Bank, together with our strategic equity partner Stadtwerke München GmbH. It reflects strong confidence in Skyborn's ability to deliver large-scale offshore wind infrastructure and marks a major step forward for Germany's energy transition and security. Gennaker will also anchor a long-term service base in Rostock-Warnemünde, supporting regional employment and value creation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for decades to come."
The Gennaker offshore wind farm will be built in German territorial waters, within the 12-nautical-mile zone, off the coast of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, and is the first offshore wind farm to be connected under the “territorial waters regulation”, with operators being entitled to a grid connection under approval by the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG).
Skyborn was granted a permit through BImSchG in 2019, but has since filed two applications for project detail changes as the wind turbine technology progressed. In 2019, the developer was approved for a 103-turbine project featuring Siemens Gamesa’s 8.4 MW turbines, with Gennaker re-approved in 2024 to use 9 MW wind turbines. Skyborn has then applied for further changes to the project as it is described now, comprising 63 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines with a maximum capacity of 15.5 MW, resulting in a total Gennaker output of a maximum 976.5 MW.
The project received full approval from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in December last year. The installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin in late summer 2027.
At the beginning of this year, Skyborn Renewables and the German transmission system operator (TSO) 50Hertz, which is leading the development of the grid connection (OST-6-1) for the Gennaker offshore wind farm, signed an agreement that clears the way for the commissioning of the entire project by mid‑2028. The HSI Joint Venture, comprising HSM Offshore Energy, Smulders, and Iv, is building the two offshore platforms for the grid connection , whose fabrication is nearing completion.
Skyborn Renewables signed preferred supplier agreements (PSAs) for Gennaker foundations, inter-array cables and their installation in September last year. The suppliers have since then started signing firm contracts for the offshore wind farm.
The developer selected EEW Special Pipe Construction (EEW SPC) for the monopiles, Dajin Heavy Industry for the transition pieces, Seaway7 for the foundation installation , and a consortium of TKF and Boskalis for the supply and installation of the inter-array cables.