EWE, RWE and Vattenfall are selling their shares in the alpha ventus offshore wind farm to Ocean Breeze Energy. The change of ownership opens the prospect of Germany’s first offshore wind farm, situated around 45 kms north of Borkum, continuing to operate beyond its originally planned lifespan. Commissioned in 2010, the wind farm pioneered German offshore wind energy. As a demonstration and testing platform, the joint project provided important insights into technologies as well as operational and maintenance concepts.
'As Germany’s first offshore wind farm, alpha ventus played a key role. The project was a unique testing ground and learning environment for technologies, operational and maintenance concepts, and the development of offshore expertise. The consortium has achieved its objectives and gained insights that continue to inform modern offshore wind projects to this day,' says Jantje Bolduan, Offshore Manager at EWE AG.
Ocean Breeze Energy plans to continue operations beyond the intended 20-year lifespan. Experience with comparable technology at the neighbouring BARD wind farm, operational synergies and proprietary technical solutions provide a solid foundation for this.
'With BARD Offshore 1 we have over ten years of experience in the management of offshore wind farms with a legacy turbine technology and we see considerable potential for a profitable operation of alpha ventus. We want to open a new chapter in the alpha ventus success story and fully use the potential of this pioneer project to contribute positively to the energy transition and to net zero', says Jean Huby, CEO of Ocean Breeze.
The transaction marks the start of a new chapter for alpha ventus: the new ownership structure is designed to ensure that the existing infrastructure can be used to generate renewable electricity for as long as possible.
The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction. The transaction is expected to be completed shortly in the fourth quarter of 2026.
About alpha ventus
Located some 45 kms north of Borkum, the wind farm was commissioned in 2010 with twelve turbines and a total capacity of 60 megawatts. The joint venture between EWE, RWE and Vattenfall is regarded as a pioneer of the German offshore wind market.
About Ocean Breeze
Ocean Breeze Energy owns and operates BARD Offshore 1 (BO1), Germany’s first commercial offshore wind farm. With its 80 offshore wind turbines, BARD Offshore 1 has a maximum capacity of 400 MW. Ocean Breeze Energy is wholly owned by funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management.
Source: Ocean Breeze
