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RWE and Siemens Gamesa have begun the large-scale deployment of recyclable rotor blades at the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, marking a major milestone in offshore wind innovation. Located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, the project will feature 150 recyclable blades across 50 of its 100 turbines, making it the largest installation of its kind worldwide. Thomas Michel, COO, RWE Offshore Wind said: “This installation represents an important moment for RWE and Sofia. Deploying recyclable blades at this scale is an indicator of RWE’s drive to deliver sustainability across its renewables fleet. By working with partners like Siemens Gamesa, we are setting a new sustainability benchmark for renewables development and helping significantly improve the circularity of offshore wind technology.”
Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK said: “Seeing the first recyclable blades being installed in UK waters is a major landmark moment. This is a great example of how we can share knowledge and work together to deliver on both energy security and a net zero future. Our Hull factory is at the cutting edge of blade technology development & manufacturing. As a global leader in energy technology, we’re proud to be partnering with RWE on Sofia, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.”
The blades are produced with an advanced resin system that allows their composite materials to be separated at the end of their operational life. This enables reuse in other industries, such as automotive manufacturing and consumer goods, supporting a circular economy.
Half of the recyclable blades have already been installed, with the remainder scheduled for completion later this year. The installation is being carried out by Siemens Gamesa using the specialist vessel Wind Peak, operated by Cadeler out of the Port of Hull.
The Sofia project, with a planned capacity of 1.4 GW, is one of RWE’s largest offshore wind farms under construction. Equipped with Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 turbines featuring 108-meter blades and a 222-meter rotor diameter, the wind farm is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power 1.2 million UK homes once operational in 2026.
This large-scale rollout builds on RWE’s earlier world-first installation of recyclable blades at the Kaskasi Offshore Wind Farm in Germany and demonstrates the company’s commitment to advancing sustainable technologies for a low-carbon future.
