RWE has achieved a significant milestone in the construction of the 1.1-gigawatt Thor offshore wind farm by successfully installing the first turbine off Denmark’s west coast near Jutland. Installation works are underway from the Port of Esbjerg, with the Fred.Olsen Windcarrier vessel Brave Tern able to transport and install three turbine sets per cycle. In total, 72 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines, each with a capacity of up to 15 megawatts, will be put in place by the end of 2026. Each individual turbine stands around 148 metres above sea level and features rotor blades as long as 115 metres.
Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Executive Officer RWE Offshore Wind: “Large-scale construction projects at sea require teamwork, precision, and a clear commitment to safety — qualities that our teams demonstrate every day at Thor. With the first turbine now installed, we have reached an important milestone in the delivery of Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm. Once fully commissioned, Thor will play a crucial role in achieving Denmark’s climate goals and in strengthening the EU’s energy independence.”
Sustainable features: CO2-reduced steel towers and recyclable blades
Thor will be the first offshore wind farm in the world to use 36 steel turbine towers that have been manufactured with a lower carbon footprint by Siemens Gamesa. In addition, some of the turbines will be equipped with recyclable rotor blades. This represents a pioneering step toward lifecycle sustainability for an offshore wind farm and aligns with RWE’s sustainability ambitions.
Thor progressing according to plan
The offshore construction works are proceeding well. Last year, the offshore substation and all foundations for the 72 wind turbines were successfully installed. Recently the project obtained the 30-year electricity production licence from the Danish Energy Agency, one of the preconditions to start the commissioning works.
When fully operational in 2027, Thor offshore wind farm will be capable of producing enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of more than one million Danish households. The wind farm’s operations and maintenance plan envisages creating 50 to 60 local jobs at a new RWE service building at the Port of Thorsminde, which will be officially opened in March.
Thor offshore wind farm is a joint project between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%). RWE is in charge of construction and operations throughout the lifecycle of Thor.
Leading global player in offshore wind
RWE already has 19 offshore wind farms in operation globally, including Rødsand 2, located south of the Danish island of Lolland. In addition to Thor in Denmark, the company is currently building three major offshore wind farms: the Sofia offshore wind farm (1.4 GW) in the UK, the Nordseecluster (1.6 GW, RWE share: 51%) off the German coast and OranjeWind (795 MW, RWE share: 50%) in the Netherlands.
For more information about RWE’s Thor offshore project, please visit thor.rwe.com.
Images for media use are available at the RWE Media Centre. (Credit: RWE / photographer: Niklas Marc Heinecke)
