Orsted has achieved a major renewable energy milestone in Germany, with the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm delivering its first electricity to the German grid on 3 December 2025. The project, jointly owned by Orsted and Nuveen Infrastructure, has an installed capacity of 913 MW and will become the largest offshore wind farm in Orsted’s German portfolio once fully operational in Q1 2026.
Borkum Riffgrund 3 highlights the strength and diversity of Europe’s offshore wind supply chain. Construction has involved wind turbines and foundations from Germany and Denmark, cables from Germany and France, and installation vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium. Spanning 75 square kilometres and located 72 kilometres off the German North Sea coast, the wind farm consists of 83 turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW.
The project is also Orsted’s first offshore wind farm in Germany built without an offshore substation. Instead, a direct 66 kV connection links the turbines to TenneT’s DolWin epsilon offshore converter platform, enabling efficient integration into the German power system.
The first electricity production marks a significant step toward supporting Germany’s industrial decarbonisation. Through long-term corporate power purchase agreements, renewable energy from Borkum Riffgrund 3 will supply major technology and industrial companies. CPPA commitments total 786 MW, with offtake agreements signed with Amazon (350 MW), BASF (186 MW), Covestro (100 MW), Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft/REWE Group (100 MW), and Google (50 MW). These contracts, lasting between 10 and 25 years, offer stable pricing for both Orsted and its customers.
Patrick Harnett, Chief Construction Officer at Orsted, said the project demonstrates the role of offshore wind in Europe’s energy independence and job creation, noting that once completed, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power a large city each year. Jordi Francesch, Managing Director Renewable Energy Investments at Nuveen Infrastructure, called the first power milestone a benchmark for decarbonisation and a boost for Europe’s long-term energy security.
Earlier in 2025, Orsted and Nuveen fully commissioned Gode Wind 3, another jointly owned offshore project. With the addition of Borkum Riffgrund 3, Orsted’s German offshore portfolio will reach around 2.5 GW in early 2026, equal to powering about 2.5 million homes. Orsted remains the market leader in Germany, operating more than 20 percent of the country’s offshore wind capacity, with operations and maintenance managed from Norden-Norddeich and Emden in East Frisia.
Baburajan Kizhakedath