Vattenfall secured the contract to build the Horns Rev 3 wind farm back in 2015 and began the construction in 2017
Image: Turbine standing at Horns Rev 3 wind farm. Photo: Courtesy of Vattenfall AB.
Swedish energy company Vattenfall has inaugurated the 407MW Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm in Scandinavia, off the coast of Denmark.
Powered by 49 of MHI Vestas’ 8.3MW turbines, the Horns Rev 3 offshore wind farm is located between 25km and 40 km off the west coast in the Danish North Sea.
Vattenfall CEO Magnus Hall said: “Horns Rev 3 is the largest offshore wind farm in Scandinavia and shows our commitment to Denmark’s ongoing transition to a renewable energy system. The wind farm is a significant contribution to Vattenfall´s production portfolio and takes us one step further in our ambition to enable a fossil-free living within one generation.”
Horns Rev 3 will increase Denmark’s overall power generation by 12%
The wind farm is expected to generate nearly 1,700GWh of clean energy annually, which is equivalent to an increase of 12% in the country’s overall power generation capacity. Electricity generated by the wind farm will be enough to power 425,000 households.
Vattenfall had won the right to build the offshore wind farm, after submitting the lowest bid back in 2015.
The first foundation for the wind farm was laid in the seabed back in October 2017 and the first turbine started generating electricity in December 2018.
Vattenfall senior vice president and business area wind head Gunnar Groebler said: “It has taken less than two years from the first foundation was built until the inauguration of Horns Rev 3.
“An impressive achievement of our employees and partners who now have completed the largest offshore wind farm in Vattenfall’s portfolio.
“It proves Vattenfall’s position as a leading offshore developer and our commitment to making offshore wind a corner stone in a future fossil-free energy system.”
The offshore wind farm has been designed to have a lifespan of 25 years. During the construction phase, the turbines were shipped from the Port of Esbjerg.
The company stated that from 2024, the operations and maintenance work for the wind farm will take place from the Port of Hvide Sande, where it aims to establish a new service hub.