Germany-based clean energy asset manager Luxcara has selected Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for its 1.5GW Waterekke offshore wind project, to be built in the German North Sea.
The company has signed a capacity reservation agreement for the delivery of 97 turbines, each with a 15.5MW capacity, including a power boost.
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This is a crucial step in the development of the flagship wind farm, set for completion by 2029.
Following the Waterekke project’s award, Luxcara began exploring synergies with the adjacent 300MW Waterkant offshore wind project. The company is considering bundling procurement and contract awards, joint installation campaigns and coordinated operations.
With Waterekke at an advanced stage, and potential operational integration, Luxcara is also assessing the use of Siemens Gamesa turbines for Waterkant, reserving an additional 19 turbines of the same model.
Luxcara originally announced a deal with Chinese company Ming Yang Smart Energy in 2024 to provide turbines for the Waterkant wind farm. However, the company has now reserved capacity from Siemens Gamesa to ensure operational efficiencies, citing operational reasons, as reported by Reuters.
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By GlobalDataThe reconsideration of the turbine supplier comes amidst a European Commission review into potential market distortions by Chinese wind turbine makers and political debates over the security implications of using Chinese-made turbines in critical infrastructure.
Luxcara stated that the political discussion did not play a decisive role in its decision-making process, but acknowledged the positive side effect of its approach aligning with political and security objectives.
The necessary approval documents for Waterekke have been submitted to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).
The turbine change consideration for Waterkant has also been communicated to the relevant authorities and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, ensuring all project partners are informed.
Waterkant Energy secured the rights to the 300MW Waterkant offshore wind project during the German offshore wind auction in summer 2023.
The project, located in the German Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), aims to connect to the national grid by the end of 2028, providing clean electricity to 400,000 households.
In August 2024, Waterekke Energy won the auction for the Waterekke project, also in the EEZ. With completed environmental and geotechnical studies, the project is on track to supply green energy to up to two million households upon its 2029 grid connection.
Both the project companies’ managing director Holger Matthiesen stated: “Our primary goal is to successfully implement the energy transition. This includes investing in financially sound projects and reliably implementing them with low risk in collaboration with our partners.
“With the award of our 1.5GW Waterekke project in late summer 2024, we reached an important milestone, and we are pleased to have reserved 97 wind turbines from Siemens Gamesa for this project alone. To explore possible synergies, we are examining the possibility of using Siemens Gamesa turbines for the neighbouring Waterkant project as well. This would enable us to coordinate the development, construction and operation of both projects more closely.”
The projects, with a combined capacity of approximately 1.8GW, are expected to meet the annual energy needs of up to 2.4 million households.
Luxcara’s commitment to these projects aligns with the German government’s objective to expand offshore wind capacity to 30GW by 2030 and achieve an 80% renewable energy share in the power mix, emphasising cost-efficiency and sustainability.
