RWE Commences Construction of Operation and Maintenance Base for Thor Offshore Wind Farm

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 12, A ground-breaking ceremony has been held at the Port of Thorsminde to mark the official start of construction of a state-of-the-art service base for RWE’s Thor offshore wind farm. With a planned capacity of more than 1 GW, Thor will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. A team of 50 – 60 people will work from the new building, and will operate and maintain the wind farm in shifts. Representatives from the Thorsminde municipality, design partners ATRA arkitekter and Frandsen & Søndergaard, construction company Østermark and RWE will break the ground together to kick-off the construction works, which are scheduled to take around 12 months to complete.

Kenneth Tønning, Chairman of the Technical Committee in Holstebro Municipality, said: “The fact that RWE has chosen Thorsminde as the service port for Thor offshore wind farm and is now beginning construction of the operations building, at the same time as we inaugurate the new access road to the port, emphasises the important strategic role of Thorsminde and Holstebro Municipality in the green transition. We therefore look forward to continuing and expanding the strong collaboration, which – in addition to supporting Denmark's energy ambitions – will also bring new activities and jobs to Thorsminde and benefit the town's development for many years to come.”

Pernille Asgaard Haaning, CEO of RWE Denmark, added: “Our Thor offshore wind farm is located approximately 22 km from the Danish Port of Thorsminde. The port therefore offers the shortest sea route to the wind farm – making Thorsminde the ideal place for our new operations and maintenance base. By investing several million Euros in Thorsminde and by creating up to 60 permanent jobs in the long-run, we will contribute to the local economy and community.”

Lisette Sønderby, Manager of the Port of Thorsminde, commented: “I'm delighted that the ground-breaking is now being taken for RWE's operations building. For Thorsminde, this is a milestone in the development of the port and the collaboration with RWE. I am proud that this beautiful building is being built at Thorsminde Port. The creation of 50 – 60 future jobs in a town the size of Thorsminde, with around 300 inhabitants, is of significant importance, and we look forward to the activity in the port area getting underway.”

Mark Lynn le Fèvre architect at ATRA arkitekter, concluded: “The design of the building mirrors the North Sea’s sometimes harsh conditions. Its fibre-reinforced concrete facades, combined with Corten steel, make up the protective layer against the elements. The materials used will blend in with existing buildings, and with its refined architectural detail, the building respectfully pays tribute to the St. George Museum on the north end, and gives balance to the whole harbour area.”

The service building will cover 2300 m2 on three floors and will comprise a control room to monitor and manage wind farm activities, warehousing, open, and daylight lit office facilities and conference room as well as a lounge-like canteen and rooftop terrace. Materials and colouring reflect the outside dunes and grass, and bring a sense of warmth to the inside. From the conference room, there are unique views over the North Sea to RWE’s Thor offshore wind farm to the west, and to the east, the Nissum Fjord. The team expects to move into the new service base at the end of 2025. From spring 2026 on, crew transfer vessels will take workers offshore on a daily basis. RWE plans to support its wind farm from Thorsminde for at least 30 years.

RWE is already making good progress on the delivery of Thor, with the laying of cables at land and the construction of an onshore substation in the municipality of Lemvig. At the beginning of next year, RWE will prepare the seabed for the construction activities, which will kick off in spring when the foundations are installed. Turbine installation is scheduled to begin in 2026. Thor will consist of 72 wind turbines. Half of the turbines will be equipped with CO2-reduced steel towers and 40 turbines will use recyclable rotor blades. The plan is to perform the turbine installation works from the port of Esbjerg. Thor is expected to be fully operational by no later than the end of 2027. Once fully operational, Thor will be capable of producing enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of more than one million Danish households.