The offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 3, jointly owned by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure, delivered its first power to the German grid on December 3, 2025. With an installed capacity of 913 MW, it will become by far the largest offshore wind farm in Ørsted's German portfolio. The project demonstrates the breadth of the European offshore wind supply chain, having been constructed using wind turbines and foundations from Germany and Denmark, cables from Germany and France, and installation vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium. The offshore wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in Q1 2026.

Project Specifications and Location

Borkum Riffgrund 3 is located approximately 72 km off the coast in the German North Sea and covers an area of roughly 75 km². A total of 83 wind turbines, each with a rated capacity of 11 MW, have been installed at the offshore wind farm. The project represents a new milestone for Ørsted in Germany and marks the first offshore wind farm to be built by Ørsted in Germany without an offshore substation.

The new connection concept provides a direct 66 kV link between the wind turbines and the DolWin epsilon offshore converter platform, which is installed and operated by the German transmission system operator, TenneT.

Corporate Power Purchase Agreements

Borkum Riffgrund 3 is supported by several long-term corporate power purchase agreements, which Ørsted has signed with industrial and technology customers. Offtake agreements totaling 786 MW have been entered into with Amazon (350 MW), BASF (186 MW), Covestro (100 MW), Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft/REWE Group (100 MW), and Google (50 MW).

The contracts range from 10 to 25 years in duration and create long-term price security for both the project developer and the customers. The renewable electricity from Borkum Riffgrund 3 will help industry and technology customers decarbonize their business through these corporate power purchase agreements. Once fully operational, the wind farm will generate the same amount of electricity that a large city uses in a year, supporting European industry with significant green energy.

Expanding German Offshore Wind Portfolio

Earlier in 2025, Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure's other jointly owned offshore wind farm, Gode Wind 3, was fully commissioned, producing enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 250,000 homes in Germany. The project is located near Ørsted's existing wind farms: Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2, and Gode Wind 1 and 2. With these recent additions, Ørsted's installed offshore wind power capacity in Germany increases to around 2.5 GW by early 2026, equivalent to powering 2.5 million homes.

Ørsted is the market leader in Germany, operating over 20% of the country's total offshore wind capacity. Operation and maintenance for all Ørsted's German offshore wind farms is carried out from Norden-Norddeich and Emden in East Frisia. Patrick Harnett, Chief Construction Officer at Ørsted, stated that offshore wind will play a key role in securing European energy independence and manufacturing jobs.

He emphasized that Borkum Riffgrund 3 is a prime example of both, having been constructed by European companies and creating local manufacturing jobs. Jordi Francesch, Managing Director, Renewable Energy Investments at Nuveen Infrastructure, described the generation of first power at Borkum Riffgrund 3 as both a significant milestone for German offshore wind and a commitment to accelerating the EU energy transition.

He noted that their partnership with Ørsted will deliver 913 MW of clean energy to German households and European corporates, making this project a new benchmark for decarbonization while also supporting long-term energy security for Germany and the EU. Felix Gschnell, Programme Director for Borkum Riffgrund 3 at Ørsted, acknowledged that with first power produced, they are taking a major step towards completion of this large-scale project.

He expressed gratitude for the team and suppliers' dedication since the final investment decision and stated that the focus is now on commissioning all remaining wind turbines to start full commercial operation in Q1 2026, thereby contributing a significant amount of additional electricity from offshore wind to the German grid.

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