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RWE has reached a major milestone in the construction of the 1.1-gigawatt Thor offshore wind farm in the Danish North Sea with the successful installation of all 72 monopile foundations. Over the past five months, monopiles measuring up to 100 metres in length and weighing as much as 1,500 metric tonnes each were transported from the heavy-lift terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, and installed at the site, 22 kilometres off the west coast of Jutland, by Jan De Nul’s vessel Les Alizés.
Dr Tobias Keitel, Chief Technology Officer RWE Offshore Wind, said, “Together with our partner, Norges Bank Investment Management, we are well on track with the construction of Thor – Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. The safe installation of the monopiles is testament to the expertise, dedication and collaboration of the entire team involved.”
Unlike conventional designs, Thor’s extended single monopiles do not require a separate transition piece. Secondary steel structures, such as boat landings, are being managed from the Danish Port of Thyborøn and will be installed later this year. A marine logistics and traffic control centre for the project is also located in Thyborøn.
To protect the foundations until turbine installation begins in 2026, RWE is deploying innovative reusable hard covers. Traditionally discarded after use, these covers are designed for reuse, reducing waste and advancing circular practices.
When operational in 2027, Thor will generate enough clean electricity to power more than one million Danish households. It will also pioneer lower-carbon technologies, becoming the first offshore wind farm worldwide to use 36 turbine steel towers manufactured with a reduced carbon footprint, while half of the turbines will feature recyclable rotor blades.
The project is expected to create 50–60 long-term local jobs through a new service facility at the Port of Thorsminde, set for completion by the end of 2025. Thor, with a planned capacity of 1,080 megawatts, is being developed as a joint venture between RWE (51%) and Norges Bank Investment Management (49%), with RWE leading construction and operations.
