RWE has installed the first turbine at the 1,100MW Thor offshore wind farm off the west coast of Jutland. The project will deploy 72 turbines from Siemens Gamesa—rated up to 15MW each—with installation due to finish by the end of 2026.
Commissioning work can begin after the project secured a 30-year electricity production licence from the Danish Energy Agency. Thor is scheduled to be fully operational in 2027, when it is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply more than one million Danish households.
Thor is jointly owned by RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%), with RWE responsible for construction and operations. The wind farm is also expected to create 50 to 60 local jobs at a new RWE service building in Thorsminde.
Offshore construction is progressing, with the offshore substation and all 72 foundations installed last year, RWE said. Turbine installation is being handled by the vessel Brave Tern, operating out of the Port of Esbjerg. The vessel can transport and install three turbine sets per cycle.
Each turbine stands about 148m above sea level and uses 115m rotor blades. The project will also use 36 steel towers manufactured with a lower carbon footprint and will include some recyclable blades.
