DONG Energy inaugurates its first offshore wind farm in Germany
DONG Energy, the LEGO Group and William Demant Invest A/S have recently inaugurated the offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 1 in Germany.
The joint announcement by top management from DONG Energy, market leader in planning, constructing and operating offshore wind farms, the LEGO Group (KIRKBI A/S), makers of the iconic LEGO® brick, and the Oticon Foundation (through William Demant Invest A/S), was made in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim of Denmark who officially opens the wind farm.
With a nominal power per turbine of 4.0 MW, the 78 wind turbines from Siemens will produce enough environmentally friendly electricity to supply 320,000 German households each year. The planning of the offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 1 began with the final investment decision in 2011. In August 2013, the construction of the wind farm started with the installation of the offshore substation, which is the heart of the wind farm.
The project cost was estimated at €1.25 billion (US$1.405 billion).
Uwe Beckmeyer, Federal Ministry of Economy & Energy, State Secretary and Deputy Minister commented:
“The first offshore wind farm installed by DONG Energy in Germany is a great success. ‘Borkum Riffgrund 1' is an impressive example of just how fast offshore installations can now be installed. This translates into lower costs and is good news for consumers.”
Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DONG Energy A/S welcomeed the guests in Norden-Norddeich, located in the Northwest of Germany, from where the wind farm will be operated:
“Borkum Riffgrund 1 is our first operational project in Germany and I’m very satisfied with the fact that we can now harvest the fruits of the investment we have put into this project. I’m also very pleased with the confidence that our joint venture partners have shown us by investing in this project."
"Our journey in Germany is far from over. We are currently building another two offshore wind projects and have a number of other projects in our pipeline that will allow us to demonstrate the skills and competences we have gained and will allow us to continue to show the trust we have in the German offshore wind market.”
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LEGO Group commented:
”In the LEGO Group, we want to make a positive impact on the planet children will inherit. Our main contribution to society is our creative play experiences and their contribution to children's learning and development."
"Today, I am proud and literally energised to celebrate that the wind farm now generates renewable energy. It is a substantial step towards our 2020 goal, to be 100% balanced by renewable energy. We will reach this by focusing on our energy efficiency, which has improved by more than 20% in the last five years and by investing in renewable energy. These combined efforts mean that by 2020 we will produce more renewable energy than we use to manufacture the billions of LEGO bricks children all over the world love to play with.”
Lars Chr. Lilleholt, Danish Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate:
“Germany is a key trading partner for Denmark. The country has significant political and economic weight and is an extremely important partner for Denmark. This also applies to our good cooperation with Germany in the energy sector which, among other things, I want to promote on this trip. Germany is also Denmark’s main export market, which is also the case when it comes to energy technologies.”
Stefan Wenzel, Lower Saxony's Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection:
“For the German Energiewende as well as for the state Lower Saxony as industrial location, I’m happy, that offshore wind gains momentum despite of all adversities and thanks to companies like DONG Energy. This we need to maintain, also going forward. We need a smooth transition to ensure a continuous build out and realization of cost reduction potentials. Planning certainty is therefore key.”
