The 253 MW Gode Wind 3 offshore wind farm, owned by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure, has become operational and strengthens the renewable energy supply in Germany.

It is Ørsted's fifth operational offshore wind farm in Germany and can supply renewable energy to the equivalent of 250,000 homes. The next offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 3, with a capacity of 913 MW, will follow, with its final turbine being installed in early January.

Patrick Harnett, Ørsted’s Operations Director, stated, “Offshore wind is a key technology in Germany’s transition to green energy. With the completion of Gode Wind 3, Ørsted now has five operational offshore wind farms in the German part of the North Sea, producing large-scale local renewable energy. We will further expand our green energy supply to German homes and businesses when our next offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 3, starts operating in 2026.”

Jordi Francesch, Managing Director of Renewable Energy Investments at Nuveen Infrastructure, said, “This project is a historic achievement in our collaboration with Ørsted. This milestone highlights our shared commitment to advancing renewable, independent energy solutions and providing sustainable value for society, the environment, and our investors.”

In August 2023, construction of Gode Wind 3 began at sea, with the first foundations being laid. Gode Wind 3 consists of 23 Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW. With a rotor diameter of 200 meters, this turbine model is currently the largest in operation in German waters. The new generation of turbines offers up to 40% more annual energy output compared to the 8 MW turbine.

The electricity generated at Gode Wind 3 will be transmitted through the park’s own offshore substation and a converter station operated by TenneT, the German transmission system operator (TSO), to the extra-high-voltage grid on land in Lower Saxony. Operations will continue to be managed from Ørsted’s operations center at the port of Norden-Norddeich in Lower Saxony. Ørsted will now receive a weighted average price of 81 EUR per MWh for the electricity produced at Gode Wind 3.

For the installation of three monopile foundations, Ørsted used a newly developed method, which completely replaced the conventional pile-driving installation method. The implementation of this new installation technology has resulted in a significant reduction in underwater noise levels. Gode Wind 3 has been an international collaboration between Ørsted and contractors from several European countries. The manufacturing and logistics hubs included locations in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and France.