Ørsted and its partner Nuveen have officially inaugurated Borkum Riffgrund 3, marking the opening of Ørsted’s largest offshore wind farm in Germany. The project is also among the first offshore wind farms in the country to operate at the scale of a conventional power plant. With an installed capacity of 913 MW, Borkum Riffgrund 3 is capable of producing enough renewable electricity each year to meet the consumption of close to one million German households. The offshore wind farm is situated around 72 kilometres from the German North Sea coast and is jointly owned by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure on a 50/50 basis.
Rasmus Errboe, CEO of Ørsted, said, “Borkum Riffgrund 3 shows what offshore wind can deliver for Germany: large-scale, home-grown renewable electricity for industry and households, built by a European supply chain. With well-designed, risk-balanced frameworks, the German North and Baltic seas can become power plants that help drive decarbonisation and energy independence.”
“At the same time, the inauguration is a major milestone for Ørsted, as we significantly increase our renewable energy capacity in Germany and take a large step towards delivery on our global 8.1 GW construction portfolio,” he added.
Offshore Wind Supports Germany’s Energy Needs
In her message to guests in Hamburg, Katherina Reiche, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, highlighted the scale of the project and its contribution to Germany’s offshore capacity.
She said, “With 913 MW, this single project adds nearly a tenth to our national offshore capacity, which has already surpassed 10 GW this year. One wind farm with the output of a conventional power plant. Clean energy at true industrial scale.”
Grant Hendrik Tonne, Lower Saxony Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport and Building, also attended the event and emphasised the importance of offshore wind for Germany’s energy independence and industrial competitiveness.
“Borkum Riffgrund 3 illustrates why offshore wind isn’t only an essential pillar of the energy transition. It’s also an important economic driver and a strategic locational advantage. It creates orders for industrial companies, supports skilled employment, and strengthens the maritime expertise of our coastal regions,” said Grant Hendrik Tonne.
Jordi Francesch, Global Head of Clean Energy at Nuveen Infrastructure, said, “Today’s inauguration marks a proud moment for Nuveen Infrastructure and our long-standing partnership with Ørsted. Borkum Riffgrund 3 reflects the scale of investment and collaboration needed to deliver Germany’s energy transition, bringing together industrial offtakers, supply chain partners, and long-term capital to create a project that will serve German businesses and households for decades to come.”
Project Adds Renewable Power for Industry
Germany still imports more than 60 % of its energy, leaving households and businesses exposed to fossil fuel price shocks, which have occurred twice in less than five years.
Josche Muth, Country Manager of Ørsted Germany, said, “Germany is currently taking important steps to make offshore wind more efficient and affordable, especially by introducing two-sided CfDs, longer operating lives for wind farms, and a stronger focus on cross-border projects.”
Borkum Riffgrund 3 forms part of the contribution to German energy security by helping meet the increasing demand for renewable electricity from companies at the centre of Germany’s industrial and digital economy, including Amazon, Google, EHA/REWE Group, Covestro, and BASF. The project is directly connected to the TenneT Dolwin epsilon converter platform, representing a first for offshore wind in Germany. The inauguration also focused on continued innovation and coordination in grid development, with broad agreement that an accelerated and coordinated approach would be central to unlocking Germany’s renewable energy potential.
European Supply Chain Supports Construction
The construction of Borkum Riffgrund 3 demonstrates the role of the European offshore wind supply chain in delivering projects in Germany. The wind farm uses wind turbines and foundations supplied from Germany and Denmark, cables from Germany and France, and installation vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium, among others. Around 100 German companies were contracted in connection with the development and construction of the wind farm, while operations and maintenance are conducted from Ørsted’s sites in Norden-Norddeich and Emden. Offshore wind also generates value beyond Germany’s coastal regions, including industrial areas such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, and Saarland.
In 2025, the offshore wind industry generated more than 30,000 full-time jobs and EUR 14.6 billion in gross value across Germany. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is Ørsted’s sixth operational offshore wind farm in Germany. Its commissioning brings Ørsted’s installed offshore wind capacity in the country to around 2.5 GW, representing a 25 % market share and the largest operational portfolio of any company in Germany.
Keywords: Borkum Riffgrund 3,
Meta-title: Opens as Ørsted’s Largest German Project
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