Construction firm Van Oord successfully installed all monopiles at RWE's 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, as per our project update on our website.
**Article: Progress Update on RWE's 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm**
The 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, RWE's largest offshore project currently under construction globally, is making significant strides in the UK's North Sea. Located 195 kilometres off the UK's northeast coast, the wind farm is set to revolutionise renewable energy production.
The monopile foundations, a crucial part of the wind farm's infrastructure, have been successfully installed. Van Oord's jack-up vessel, Aeolus, was specially upgraded for the project to achieve a 1,650-tonne lift capacity. The extended single monopile installation, without an overlapping separate transition piece, reduces the total steel tonnage required for the project, saving on steel and associated energy resources. The monopiles were manufactured by EEW.
Currently, Van Oord is installing and burying approximately 360 kilometers of array cables, a process expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. The cable installation scope is being performed by Van Oord's vessel, Calypso.
To minimise underwater noise during piling operations and protect marine species in the Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a full-scale bubble curtain noise abatement system was deployed for 34 foundations. This technology, operated by Hydrotechnik Offshore, creates a barrier of bubbles that effectively reduces noise levels.
The wind farm will feature 100 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines, each rated at 14 MW and standing 252 meters tall. Half of the turbines are being installed with recyclable blades. The first turbine was placed on top of a monopile in March, with 27 turbines completed as of mid-2025. Once fully operational, the generation output of all 100 of Sofia's turbines will be equivalent to powering up to 1.2 million UK homes with electricity from wind energy.
The installation is being carried out from the Port of Tyne, serving as the primary storage and marshalling location for all the foundation components. The project is expected to be operational by 2026, marking a significant step forward in the UK's renewable energy sector.
The installation of monopiles, a key component of the energy sector and a crucial part of RWE's 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, has been successfully completed, contributing to the project's progress in the UK's renewable industry. The technology used, such as the extended single monopile installation and the bubble curtain noise abatement system, aims to reduce steel consumption and minimize underwater noise, respectively, thereby improving the project's financial efficiency and environmental impact.
