Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola said Monday it has received approvals to start construction of the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany.
With a capacity of 476 MW, Baltic Eagle will be capable of supplying renewable energy to 475,000 households.
"The construction phase starts after obtaining approvals from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). The wind farm will be fully operational by the end of 2024," Iberdrola said.
Located 30 kilometers northeast of the island of Rügen, off the coast of Pomerania, Baltic Eagle is part of what will be the largest offshore wind complex in the Baltic Sea, with a total installed capacity of more than 1,100 MW and a combined investment of 3.5 billion euros.
The offshore wind hub also includes the Wikinger (350 MW) offshore wind farm, commissioned at the end of 2017, and Windanker (300 MW), which will start operating in 2026.
Iberdrola has now started work to locate and remove unexploded ordnance from the seabed to ensure the safety of the works while continuing to progress with the production of the foundation components.
Spanish company Windar has already built the first of the 50 transition pieces for the project. Transition pieces join the wind turbine towers to the foundations.
"This process will create around 800 jobs and will last until the end of the year. Loading to Germany is scheduled for the beginning of 2023." Iberdrola said.
Also, Germany's EEW SPC has completed the first monopile at its Rostock plant. With a diameter of around 9 meters, a length of between 75 and 90 meters, and a maximum weight of up to 1,402 tonnes, the 50 monopiles for the project will be completed in early 2023.
The offshore substation is also on schedule and the platform is expected to be delivered this year for installation at the site. This substation is under construction and will be used jointly by Iberdrola and 50Hertz, the transmission system operator in northeast Germany and responsible for connecting the offshore wind farm to the grid.