RWE, a German utility company, has started offshore construction at its 1 GW Sofia offshore wind project on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195 km off the north-east coast of the UK. Prysmian, which is the project’s cable contractor is using its vessel Leonardo da Vinci to lay the first section of high voltage direct current export cable to send the power generated from the wind farm back onshore and finally to the UK transmission network 220 km away in Redcar, Teesside.
The wind farm will be powered by 100 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD turbines, each with a capacity of 14 MW. The project is anticipated to be finished by the end of 2026. Furthermore, RWE intends to provide 44 of the turbines with recyclable blades. The Grimsby Hub, which will also assist Triton Knoll and other upcoming developments, will serve as the base for the operation and maintenance of the wind farm. After the completion of the Sofia offshore wind farm it is expected to provide sufficient power for more than 1.2 million average UK homes and help the country meet its net-zero goal.
In July 2023, RWE Clean Energy announced eight long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Dominion Energy Virginia to supply solar power totaling 300 MW. RWE supplied power from its seven solar projects, generating 750,000 MWh of clean energy. All of the projects are located in the US state of Virginia. The portfolio of solar projects covered by the PPAs powered 70,000 homes in Virginia.
