EnBW has been demonstrating its offshore strength in designing, constructing and operating wind farms for over ten years: we started in 2009 in the Baltic Sea with the construction of EnBW Baltic 1, Germany’s first commercial wind farm. This was followed by Baltic 2 with its significantly greater dimensions. We have now commissioned Germany’s biggest offshore wind farm to date in the North Sea. EnBW Hohe See and EnBW Albatros have been fully connected to the grid since January 2020, supplying enough green energy in absolute terms to supply the private households of Munich. With He Dreiht, we also have the rights to build another wind farm in the North Sea.
Hohe See and Albatros
Success in the North Sea with the joint project Hohe See and Albatros. They will supply electricity for an aggregate of around 710,000 households.
Baltic 1
Our EnBW Baltic 1 wind farm is the first commercial offshore wind farm in Germany and has been in operation since April 2011.
Baltic 2
EnBW Baltic 2 was connected to the grid in September 2015. 80 wind turbines produce up to 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Wind power plants on the high seas
In the Baltic Sea, our two offshore wind farms Baltic 1 and Baltic 2 reliably generate electricity that can supply an aggregate of almost 400,000 households. We are gaining experience and also increasing the size and output through every new offshore wind farm – thanks also to the advances made in offshore technology.
Our North Sea projects Hohe See, He Dreiht and Albatros are being constructed in close proximity to one another. Together they will form a 1,500 megawatt piece of the Energiewende.
Nezzy² - floating wind turbine
Two wind turbines on a floating platform of pre-cast concrete parts - that's Nezzy². Until now, offshore wind turbines have been anchored to foundations in the seabed at maximum water depths of 50 metres. This limits the number of suitable marine areas. Floating turbines change this completely. For this reason, EnBW, together with the engineering company aerodyn, is developing new offshore technology in which wind turbines float on the water surface.
Experience offshore wind power at EnBW interactively
More than ten years of experience in the planning, construction and operation of offshore wind farms, but also the outlook on the company's offshore commitment to a sustainable energy future: our e-book „Power for a sustainable future” takes you on a varied journey in text, pictures and film from EnBW Baltic 1 via EnBW Hohe and Albatros to EnBW He Dreiht and Nezzy². Facts and information are not neglected. You can browse through the interactive PDF yourself and also use the animated version, either via autopilot or manually. More than a brochure.
Powerful Teams
Wind, weather and waves are the greatest challenges facing offshore wind farms and are what govern the construction work and operation of the turbines. An international team of specialists for planning at the Hamburg office and a competent service team at the Barhöft service station provide vast expertise for the expansion of wind energy.
On course for the future
Offshore office in Hamburg: Around 100 employees are involved in planning the EnBW wind farms. This is where expert reports are produced, authorities are consulted and decisions are made. Manufacturers and service providers must be commissioned, transport and delivery chains planned and all processes that make up the highly complex erection work must be coordinated – while possible delays also need to be compensated for.
The station that never sleeps
The service station in Barhöft: It is from here that the wind farm installed at sea is controlled and all the service tasks are coordinated – round the clock, seven days a week. Data about the weather and sea conditions indispensable to the operation of a wind farm are delivered continuously through measurements taken at sea. The offshore turbines switch themselves on from wind force 3 and automatically switch themselves off again in storms from wind force 10.
Safety for people and machinery
Everything comes together in Barhöft: This is where the EnBW Baltic 1 and EnBW Baltic 2 wind farms are monitored around the clock and the service tasks are coordinated.
Offshore, we need to plan far ahead. We work under extreme conditions: wind and weather, the motion of the sea and ice dictate our work schedule. Our team needs to work very well together because we cannot simply get into a boat and sail out there.
The safety measures on the high seas are particularly strict. Before employees are permitted to work at the wind farm, they must complete safety training lasting several days.
We are venturing into unknown territory. That means it is possible to shape a lot of things yourself as an employee. Therefore, I am certain that I have one of the hundred most interesting jobs in the world.
Wind power today and tomorrow
You ask – we answer
Can the wind turbines be seen from the coast?
EnBW Baltic 2 is located so far out at sea at around 32 kilometres from land that the wind power plants cannot be seen from the coast. The wind turbines at EnBW Baltic 1 that is located 16 km away can only be perceived as match-stick sized silhouettes from the coast. The curvature of the earth covers part of the around 115 m high turbines and a special paint coating prevents them from glistening in the sunlight.
What impact do the wind farms have on the environment?
Studies have demonstrated that mammals such as the harbour porpoise, sea lions and seals return to the areas taken up by the wind farm after a while. Numerous species of fish are also protected from the nets of deep-sea fishing vessels between the wind power plants. In addition, numerous species settle on the scour protection – a layer of stones deposited to protect the foundations from being washed away – like on an artificial reef. Migrating birds also display the behaviour that has been observed on land and mostly avoid flying through the area.
Do offshore wind farms have an impact on sea and air traffic?
Every offshore wind farm is marked in multiple locations by buoys, lighting and warning signs so that the area is visible for miles around. For this purpose, EnBW creates a so-called identification and lighting plan for every offshore wind farm in advance that is inspected by the responsible authorities. In general, the wind farms are erected sufficiently far away from very busy shipping routes. At a distance of 24 km, EnBW Baltic 1 lies far away from the Kadet Trench, which runs between the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula in Germany and the island of Falster in Denmark.
What is the wind speed at which the wind power plants start to rotate?
A wind power plant starts up automatically from approximately 3 - 5 m/s (wind force 3). It achieves its maximum capacity of 2.3 MW (nominal output) from a wind speed of approximately 13 - 14 m/s (wind force 6). The output is then held at a constant level by adjusting the rotor blades (pitch system). In the partial-load range, the rotor speed and the pitch angle of the rotor blades is continuously adjusted in order to achieve a maximum level of aerodynamic efficiency. At wind speeds greater than 25 m/s (from wind force 10), the wind power plant is automatically switched off by adjusting the rotor blades. If the wind speed falls below the restart value, the safety system is automatically reset. The rotor blades are set to their operating position and the turbine is restarted.