Denmark: RWE has installed the first offshore wind turbine featuring a CO₂-reduced steel tower and recyclable rotor blades at the Thor offshore wind farm in Denmark. The project, with a total capacity of 1.1 gigawatts, is located off Denmark’s west coast and is currently under construction.
In total, 72 turbines, each with up to 15 MW capacity, will be installed by the end of 2026. Half of the turbines will use steel towers made with a lower carbon footprint, while 40 turbines will include a total of 120 recyclable rotor blades supplied by Siemens Gamesa.
Once completed in 2027, the Thor wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than one million Danish households. The project is being developed jointly by RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%), with RWE responsible for construction and operations.
Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Executive Officer RWE Offshore Wind, said: “Offshore wind already has one of the lowest life-cycle carbon footprints of power generation technologies. At RWE, our ambition is to go even further. By using towers produced with greener steel and recyclable rotor blades, we are further reducing the carbon footprint and taking a significant step towards fully circular offshore wind.”
Marc Becker, Senior Vice President of Siemens Gamesa Offshore, added: “Together with GreenerTower, which lowers the carbon footprint of steel and reduces overall turbine emissions by around 20 %, we are proving that sustainability can be delivered at scale in offshore wind, with safety, quality and certainty.”
According to the project update, installation work is progressing as planned. The offshore substation and foundations were completed last year, and the first electricity has already been supplied to the Danish grid.
RWE also noted that the project supports local employment, with a new service base opened at the Port of Thorsminde.
Source: RWE
