Borkum Riffgrund 3 Approaching Completion: Ørsted’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm in Germany Delivers First Power
Fredericia (Denmark) – Danish energy company Ørsted and investment manager Nuveen have reached a new milestone for offshore wind energy in Germany with the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The 913?MW wind farm has delivered power to the grid for the first time, bringing the project close to completion.
First Power Delivery: Milestone for German Offshore Wind
The Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm delivered electricity to the German grid for the first time on 3 December 2025. With an installed capacity of 913 MW, it is Ørsted’s largest wind farm in Germany. Borkum Riffgrund 3 highlights the breadth of the European offshore wind supply chain: the project was built using wind turbines and foundations from Germany and Denmark, cables from Germany and France, and installation vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium.
“With first power produced at Borkum Riffgrund 3, we’re taking a major step towards completion of this large-scale project. We’re now focused on commissioning all remaining wind turbines – so we can start full commercial operation in Q1 2026, thereby contributing a significant amount of additional electricity from offshore wind to the German grid,” said Felix Gschnell, Programme Director for Borkum Riffgrund 3 at Ørsted.
Patrick Harnett, Chief Construction Officer at Ørsted, emphasized: “Offshore wind will play a key role in securing European energy independence and manufacturing jobs. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is a prime example of both. The project has been constructed by European companies, creating local manufacturing jobs. And, once completed, it will produce the same amount of electricity that a large city uses every year.”
The wind farm is located approximately 72 km off the North Sea coast and covers around 75 km2. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is also Ørsted’s first German offshore wind farm without an offshore substation. The Siemens Gamesa turbines are connected via a 66 kV line directly to the DolWin epsilon converter platform, operated by the German transmission system operator TenneT.
Corporate Power Offtake and Expansion of Offshore Capacity
Borkum Riffgrund 3 supports industrial decarbonization through several long-term Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs). Offtake agreements totaling 786 MW have been signed with major customers including Amazon (350 MW), BASF (186 MW), Covestro (100 MW), REWE/Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft (100 MW), and Google (50 MW). Contract durations range from 10 to 25 years. Jordi Francesch, Managing Director Renewable Energy Investments at Nuveen Infrastructure, said: “Our partnership with Ørsted will deliver 913 MW of clean energy to German households and European corporates making this project a new benchmark for decarbonisation.”
With Borkum Riffgrund 3, Ørsted will increase its offshore wind capacity in Germany to around 2,500 MW (2.5 GW) by early 2026. Earlier in 2025, the jointly operated Gode Wind 3 wind farm was commissioned, now producing enough electricity to supply approximately 250,000 households. Ørsted is the market leader in Germany, operating over 20 percent of the country’s total offshore wind capacity. Operation and maintenance of the wind farms are carried out from the company’s locations in Norden-Norddeich and Emden in East Frisia.
Ørsted Shares Fall – Weak Year-to-Date Performance
The news had little impact on Ørsted’s stock this morning. The shares are currently trading at €18.235, down 0.36 percent. Compared with the price at the start of the year, the stock is down by nearly 59 percent.
Source: IWR Online, 04 Dec 2025