OSTWIND 1 given green light

"We are very pleased that with the approval of the last, around 20 Kilometer section in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the cable route now fully approved "says Uwe Gyßer, project leader for Ostwind 1 of 50Hertz. "We can now move forward with  the project within the EEZ as planned. "

The Energy Industry Act (EnWG) defines which transmission system operator is responsible for connecting up the offshore wind farms. For the Baltic Sea, this is 50Hertz. 50Hertz has been commissioned with this task.

50Hertz received the approval for the land route on 9 March 2015 and approval for the Territorial sea section (12 nautical mile region)  on 10 July 2015 from the Department of Energy of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. However they were still awaiting consent from the BSH as they are the approval authority for waters for the further offshore.

The project Ostwind 1

The project Ostwind 1 represents the submarine cable route in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Baltic-Westlich-Adlergrund (cluster 1 in the draft network Plan) for the grid connection which will support both the Wikinger Offshore wind project (350MW) and Arkona Offshore wind project (385MW).  Both Offshore wind farm projects have the necessary approvals needed for construction and this is expected to commence at any point soon.

19 offshore wind farm operators have applied to us for a grid connection. 50Hertz have classified these projects as belonging to the “Region West“ with a 380 kV connection point at Bentwisch, and “Region East“ with Lubmin as its 380 kV connection point. Preliminary works for integration of this wind energy into the 50Hertz transmission system are ongoing at both of these connection points and the above consent will ensure that construction work will now commence, with the expectation that the Network connections shall be made by the end of 2018.

The authorities responsible for authorising the construction and operation of the network connections are the Department of Energy of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for onshore and the coastal 12 nautical mile region, and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Connection of the offshore wind farms built in the North Sea are the responsibility of the TenneT.