Dutch marine contractor Van Oord has been awarded a contract by Spanish energy company Iberdrola for the construction of the Windanker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea.

This latest project strengthens Van Oord’s position and portfolio of offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea.

Scope of work at Windanker

Van Oord’s scope of work encompasses the transport and installation of 21 XL monopiles and transition pieces. Additionally, the company will design, supply, and install the wind farm’s inter-array cable grid. With an installed capacity of 300 megawatts (MW), Windanker aligns with Germany’s ambitious goal of achieving 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

For the installation of the monopiles, Van Oord will utilise its heavy-lift installation vessel, Svanen. Currently undergoing a significant upgrade, the vessel will be equipped to handle the latest generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects. Notably, the Svanen is well-suited to navigate the challenging conditions of the Baltic Sea, having established a proven track record on projects like Baltic 2, Arkona, Kriegers Flak (Denmark), and Baltic Eagle.

Cable installation and project timeline

Van Oord’s dedicated cable-laying vessel, Nexus, will be deployed to install the 29-kilometre inter-array cable network. The cables will then be buried to the required depth using the trencher Dig-It.

Windanker is expected to be commissioned in 2026.