Amprion, a German transmission system operator, has started planning the Windader West energy corridor, which would bring up to 8 GW of power from offshore wind farms in the North Sea to North Rhine-Westphalia. It will consist of four offshore grid connections, each of 2 GW: NOR-15-1, NOR-17-1, NOR-19-1, and NOR-21-1. The submarine cables will connect wind farms in the North Sea to grid connection points in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area.
The first 2 GW of offshore capacity is anticipated to flow to North Rhine-Westphalia via a Windader West transmission line by 2032. The remaining three connections are expected to start in 2033, 2034, and 2036. According to the company, Windader West is a combination of four projects with a transmission capacity of 2,000 MW each, and the systems are part of the 2 GW generation of new, strong offshore connections.
In September 2022, Vattenfall chose to exercise its rights to develop the N-7.2 offshore wind project off the coast of Germany. The 980 MW project, which was 85 km from the island of Borkum, was given to Vattenfall by RWE Renewables. Reportedly, in order to develop and construct the wind farm, the company notified the German authority of its decision to exercise its right of entry to the N-7.2 project.
REGlobal’s Views: As Germany expands its renewable energy capacity, it is focusing significantly on increasing its offshore wind power capacity. Adequate transmission is a key requisite for offshore wind power capacity expansion. Energy corridors like this one will be of critical importance as the country ramps up offshore wind power capacity.
