Granted by the Danish Energy Agency, the approval marks the final regulatory clearance needed for the company to initiate offshore construction. RWE plans to commence offshore work in spring 2025.
Located roughly 22km off the west coast of Jutland, the Danish offshore wind facility will feature 72 SG 14-236 DD wind turbines from Siemens Gamesa. Half of the turbines will incorporate CO2-reduced steel towers, and 40 will be equipped with recyclable rotor blades.
The project is expected to generate enough clean energy to power over one million households in Denmark.
Cable installation and the construction of an onshore substation in the municipality of Lemvig for the Thor project are currently underway.
RWE aims to prepare the seabed for foundation installations in early 2025, with the turbine installation phase scheduled to begin in 2026.
The Thor offshore wind farm is projected to be fully operational by the end of 2027.
The German energy company intends to carry out turbine installations from the port of Esbjerg, with the port of Thorsminde serving as the primary base for operations and maintenance. This operations hub is expected to bring 50-60 jobs to the local community.
RWE offshore wind chief operating officer Thomas Michel said: “With our Thor project we are delivering Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. But it is not just the size of the project that makes us ambitious.
“We are also leading the way with investments in new sustainable technology with recyclable rotor blades and turbine towers made of greener steel.”
Last year, in April, RWE selected the preferred suppliers for all main components, including wind turbines, jacket foundations and transmission systems for the Thor offshore wind farm.
In a separate announcement, RWE revealed it has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Rivian for the electricity from the 127MW Champion wind project in West Texas, US.
Under the PPA, electricity from RWE’s upgraded windfarm in Nolan and Mitchell Counties will help supply Rivian’s fast-charging network, the Rivian Adventure Network, with clean energy.
