RWE signs grid connection agreement with Energinet for Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm

RWE has signed an agreement with the Danish grid operator Energinet for its Thor Offshore Wind Farm. The agreement regulates the technical set-up, the power quality and the cooperation between RWE and Energinet, at the point of connection (POC) in Volder Mark.

With a planned capacity of around 1,000 megawatts (MW) Thor will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. The wind farm will be built off the Danish west coast approximately 22 kilometers from the port of Thorsminde.

To connect the offshore wind farm to the grid, Energinet will construct a new 220 kilovolt (kV) station – as part of the 220/400 kV conversion of the existing 400 kV station in Idomlund. From there, 28 kilometers of cables will be laid underground to connect to a new 220 kV station (POC) to be constructed at Volder Mark, which is located 4 km from the coastline. At Volder Mark the electricity generated by the offshore wind farm will be delivered to the grid. 

Once fully operational, which is planned to be no later than 2027, Thor would be capable of producing enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of more than one million Danish households. As something new for offshore wind in Denmark, developer RWE will construct and pay for the entire offshore electrical high voltage system up to POC, and also pay for the onshore grid connection. This is regulated by a concession agreement signed with the Danish Energy Agency (Energistyrelsen) in January.

RWE is a leading global player in renewables and number 2 worldwide in offshore wind. The Thor project will help to support the company’s goal to triple its global offshore wind capacity from 2.4 to 8 gigawatts by 2030. RWE is already involved in the Danish Rødsand 2 offshore wind farm, which is located south of the Danish island Lolland, approximately 10 kilometres southeast of Rødbyhavn. The wind farm has an installed capacity of 207 MW (RWE share: 20%) and has been in operation since 2010.