E.ON to build Arkona offshore wind farm in partnership with Norwegian energy company Statoil

E.ON is to build another offshore wind farm in German waters. The company announced that it has decided to move forward with the Arkona project in the Baltic Sea. The wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2019. Norwegian energy company Statoil will have a 50-percent stake and will be involved in the project from the start. E.ON will have responsibility for building and operating the wind farm. Investments in the project will be in excess of € 1.2 billion (US$1.34 billion). 

Arkona is located in the Baltic Sea, 35 kilometers northeast of Rügen Island. With an installed capacity of 385 MW, it will consist of 60 six-megawatt Siemens turbines. The turbine towers will be mounted on monopile foundations installed at depths of 23 to 37 meters.

For at least the next 25 years the logistics base for the construction and subsequent operation of Arkona offshore wind farm will be the Port of Sassnitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

E.ON Climate & Renewables CEO Michael Lewis said:

“Arkona further exemplifies E.ON’s leadership role in expanding renewables and shaping the new energy world. This project offers ideal conditions for further reducing the costs of offshore wind and will be a big step toward realizing our goal of making renewables truly competitive. We’re pleased to be partnering with Statoil, which has outstanding expertise working in challenging offshore environments.“

Irene Rummelhoff, Statoil’s executive vice president for New Energy Solutions, said:

“We are pleased to announce our decision to develop this significant offshore wind project together with E.ON. Statoil is an established player in offshore wind, leveraging our more than 40 years of experience from offshore oil and gas projects to create value. This investment is in line with our strategy to gradually complement our oil and gas portfolio with profitable renewable energy and other low-carbon solutions.”