Vattenfall takes FID on 344-MW Vesterhav offshore wind complex

Vattenfall AB has taken the final investment decision on the 344-MW Vesterhav Syd and Vesterhav Nord offshore wind farms in Denmark, the Swedish utility, which won a tender for the projects back in 2016, announced on Tuesday.

To be built not far from the west coast of Denmark, the EUR-769-million (USD 870m) wind farms are due to be completed by 2023. They will be made up of 20 and 21 units of 8.4-MW turbines, respectively, to be supplied by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA (BME:SGRE).

The final investment decision comes exactly one year after Vattenfall received permission from the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) to launch the construction of the projects. The green light followed a supplementary environmental impact assessment for the two schemes, which was needed after the Energy Board of Appeal cancelled and withdrew the part of Vesterhav Syd’s construction licence that concerns the EIA. The construction of the two offshore wind farms was pushed to 2023 from 2020 and a new layout for the turbines was also devised that moved the machines further into the North Sea to maximise the distance to the coast.

Vesterhav Syd and Nord will add to Vattenfall’s recently dedicated 604-MW Kriegers Flak and 407-MW Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farms in Denmark. The company noted that Vesterhav Syd and Nord will be the only state-tendered offshore wind farms to be built in Denmark till the commissioning of the Thor offshore wind farm in 2027. In the wake of Vesterhav Syd, the approach to environmental assessments for the Thor project was adjusted. DEA in 2019 decided that a strategic environmental assessment should be completed ahead of final bids for this project.

Vesterhav Syd and Nord’s generation is expected to correspond to the annual needs of more than 350,000 Danish households. Jan de Nul has been contracted to install the turbines and DEME to install the foundations, which will be supplied by Bladt Industries and EEW. Hellenic will produce the cables, while Asso has been awarded the cable installation.

Vattenfall will set up a new service facility at the Port of Hvide Sande, which will be used for Vesterhav Syd and Nord and Horns Rev 3.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.131)

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