Belgian dredging and maritime construction companies Deme and Jan De Nul have won contracts for two new offshore wind farms – Nordlicht 1 and 2 – in the German North Sea. When operational, they will provide power to approximately 1.7 million German households.
The two wind farms will be located in a zone 85 kilometers north of Borkum, the westernmost of the German Wadden Islands near the Netherlands. Construction is scheduled for 2026, and the parks should be fully operational by 2028.
Key contracts
The Swedish energy company Vattenfall awarded Jan De Nul the contract for installing the connecting cables for the Nordlicht 1 and 2 wind farms. The project involves 196 kilometers of submarine cables transporting electricity between the park’s 112 wind turbines.
Deme won two contracts worth more than 300 million euros each—one for transporting and installing the turbine foundations and one for protecting the erosion of both wind farms.
Collaborating competitors
With the ‘Orion’, a ship specially designed for installing wind turbines, Deme increasingly specializes in offshore activities. Rival Jan De Nul, originally also a dredger, is increasingly focusing on the wind industry, more specifically, the installation of cables on the seabed.
It is not the first time that the competitors have collaborated. They also won the contract for the hotly debated energy island off the Belgian coast with their consortium, TM Edison.
However, the project is under pressure because the price has risen to 7.5 billion euros, a multiple of the initial estimated 2.2 billion. Major energy consumers have criticized that project for months because it would significantly increase grid rates. Energy provider Elia, therefore, has pressed the pause button.
Nordlicht 1 and 2
“The Nordlicht projects will play a crucial role in advancing the energy transition while supporting our sustainability goals,” stated Catrin Jung, Head of Offshore Wind at Vattenfall.
Vattenfall organized a signing ceremony at which the various contracts were already awarded. However, we are still waiting for the final investment decision. Chemical producer BASF also has a 49 percent stake in the two parks.
Two other contracts for the project were awarded to EEW Special Pipe Constructions and CS Wind Offshore.
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