innogy chooses 14 MW turbines for its 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm

innogy SE has chosen the latest state-of-the-art 14 megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbines for its 1.4 gigawatt (GW) Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, located 195 kilometres from the UK coast on Dogger Bank in the shallow area of the central North Sea.

A corresponding preferred supplier agreement was signed with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. The agreement includes the manufacture, installation and commissioning of a total of 100 turbines, each standing 262 metres tall. The execution of the agreement will be subject to contract and final investment decision, anticipated in the first quarter of 2021.

Sven Utermöhlen, Senior Vice President Renewables Operations Offshore at innogy SE, explains:

“The selection of these state-of-the-art offshore wind turbines for Sofia, our largest offshore wind development project, reflects our ambition to strive for continuous innovation. Siemens Gamesa’s towering 14 MW machine is a perfect match for our flagship Sofia project, together cementing offshore wind‘s central role in the world’s clean energy future. This turbine embodies the impressive technology we need to build our ground-breaking project, that is further from shore and more technically challenging than any of its predecessors.”

Sofia is set to be the first European project to install the new 14 MW model (SG 14-222 DD), that will be market-ready by 2024, right on time for installation on Dogger Bank. Construction of the wind farm is expected to start onshore at its Teesside converter station site in early 2021, with offshore construction expected to get underway in 2023. The 100 turbines together could generate enough green electricity to satisfy the annual electricity needs of almost 1.2 million average UK homes.

Andreas Nauen, Siemens Gamesa CEO, said:

“We’re delighted that innogy has shown its confidence in our new machines and proven its commitment to creating a clean future with us now. In uncertain times, we are proud that innogy is choosing machinery with a pedigree of being solid and reliable. As an economic recovery around the globe safely and slowly begins, we’re confident that offshore wind power will strongly contribute to providing jobs and energy stability at attractive prices.”