• RWE has chosen Port of Thorsminde as operations and maintenance base for Thor Offshore Wind Farm
• New operations and service building to be built on the southern part of the harbour
• RWE expects to create 50-60 permanent local jobs for operation of the wind farm
• RWE also commits to taking on 30 apprentices in connection with the establishment of Thor

Copenhagen, 24 January 2024

RWE has chosen Port of Thorsminde as the operations and maintenance base for Thor Offshore Wind Farm. RWE is to build a new operations and service building on the southern part of the port. Construction is expected to start at the end of 2024, and the new service station is planned to be in full operation from 2026.

By choosing Port of Thorsminde, RWE creates 50-60 permanent local jobs for the operation and maintenance of Thor. This includes technicians, engineers, nautical staff, and crew for the service vessels.

RWE has committed to taking on at least 30 apprentices as part of the construction of the project. To support this local apprenticeship effort, RWE has partnered with Uddannelsescenter Holstebro (UCH).

Pia Lanken, Vice President for Thor Offshore Wind Farm, RWE: “At RWE, we value our close collaboration with the Port of Thorsminde, Holstebro Municipality and all our partners in the area. With the decision to make Port of Thorsminde the centre for operation and maintenance of Thor, this cooperation will become even closer. And above all, it will bring new jobs and opportunities to Thorsminde, which will become a hub for offshore wind activities on the west coast and thus an important part of the green transition.”

H.C. Østerby, Mayor of Holstebro Municipality: “We are extremely pleased with the positive business development we are experiencing in Thorsminde. We have a very constructive cooperation with RWE and other partners to create local jobs. This is really big for us. We have the prospect of more jobs than there are inhabitants in Thorsminde. Thanks to the extraordinary commitment by the city council, the administrations, the port and other partners, we are able to realise a strategic endeavour that we have been working on for many years. It is fantastic to see that the strategic efforts are now bearing fruit.”

Lisette Sønderby, Port Manager, Port of Thorsminde: “We are extremely pleased with the decision to make the Port of Thorsminde the base for operation and maintenance of Thor Offshore Wind Farm. This is yet another example that the hard work here in Thorsminde and Holstebro Municipality is bearing fruit. At the port, so far we have completed a major dredging project to prepare for CTV operation in the harbour basins. In addition, we are now working on the realisation of a project for onshore power systems and new utility poles on all quays. We’ve also set up a working group for planning the port expansion with the establishment of a new quay structure. I am proud that thanks to our joint effort, we have managed to transform Thorsminde into a modern service port for large offshore wind projects like Thor.”

With a planned capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW), Thor will be Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm. Thor is to be built off the west coast of Jutland approximately 22 kilometres from the port of Thorsminde. Thorsminde offers a number of advantages as a port, including the shortest sea route to Thor Offshore Wind Farm. When Thor is fully operational, which is scheduled for 2027 at the latest, the wind farm will generate enough green electricity to power the equivalent of more than one million Danish homes.

It’s not just the power from the completed wind farm that will help solve climate challenges. RWE is also at the forefront of testing sustainable solutions at Thor Offshore Wind Farm. 

Importantly, half of the 72 turbines will be equipped with more sustainable steel towers from Siemens Gamesa. The towers’ steel plates are made of greener steel, which has at least a 63 per cent lower carbon footprint compared to conventional steel. RWE is the first developer in the world to use Siemens Gamesa’s GreenerTowers. Also, 40 of Thor’s 72 turbines are to be equipped with recyclable wind turbine blades from Siemens Gamesa.

RWE is a leading global player in renewable energy. The Thor project supports the company’s goal of increasing its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 to 10 gigawatts by 2030. RWE already operates the Danish offshore wind farm Rødsand 2, located south of Lolland, approximately 10 kilometres southeast of Rødbyhavn.

Press images are available at RWE Media Centre.

You can download the English press release here or a Danish version here.