Discover the giants of renewable energy in Europe as we delve into the continent’s top five largest wind farms. These projects represent significant strides in renewable energy production and play a crucial role in meeting the region’s clean energy goals. We’ll take a closer look at their developers, capacity, locations, and contributions to sustainable power generation.
1) 4GW onshore Markbygden 1101 project (Sweden)
With a potential capacity of up to 4GW, Markbygden 1101 stands as Europe’s most extensive onshore wind endeavor. Not only that, it also ranks among the largest wind energy projects worldwide. Comprising 1,101 turbines, this large-scale project yields an impressive annual output of 12 terawatt-hours (TWh), which equates to a substantial 8% of Sweden’s electricity supply. It is situated 20 kilometers west of Piteå in Norrbotten County, northern Sweden. This ambitious initiative commenced in 2010, and while some wind farms are already operational, others are still under development.
Location: 20 km west of Piteå, Norrbotten County, Sweden
Developer/Owner: Svevind AB, Enercon
2) 3.6 GW offshore Dogger Bank project (UK)
The Dogger Bank project in the UK, boasting a massive 3.6GW capacity, is set to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm when it reaches completion. This colossal undertaking will unfold in three distinct phases – A, B, and C – with its wind turbines situated approximately 80 miles off the Yorkshire coastline. Developed by SSE Renewables, a UK-based company, in partnership with Norway’s Equinor and Vårgrønn, this project aims to bring the world’s largest offshore wind farm to life. Once operational, it will generate enough electricity to power 6 million homes annually. The installation of the 277 turbines is slated to take place over the coming years, and all three phases are expected to be operational by 2026.
Location: 130 km off the Yorkshire coast, United Kingdom
Developers: SSE Renewables, Equinor, Vårgrønn
3) 2.5GW offshore Mareld wind park (Sweden)
Freja Offshore AB, a collaborative venture between Mainstream Renewable Power in Ireland and Hexicon AB in Sweden, will develop this ambitious offshore wind project in Sweden. Called Mareld wind park, the large-scale wind farm is planned to be situated approximately 40 kilometers west of Orust Island in Sweden’s economic jurisdiction. Once Mareld is fully operational, it will contribute a substantial 12 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy each year. This will effectively cover around two-thirds of the electricity demand in the Västra Götaland region.
Location: 40 km west of Orust, Sweden
Developers: Freja Offshore AB (joint venture by Mainstream Renewable Power and Hexicon)
4) 1.5GW onshore Hordavind farm (Norway)
Norsk Vind Energi started developing the Hordavind Onshore Wind Farm Project, an ambitious venture with a capacity of potentially reaching 1,500MW. This project finds its home amidst the Stølsheimen and Hordaland, across the three municipalities Modalen, Masfjorden and Lindas. The wind farm will comprise 235 wind turbines. The timeline for this project indicates that construction is set to commence in 2023, with the aim of achieving full operational status by 2024.
Location: Stølsheimen and Hordaland, Norway
Developer: Norsk Vind Energi AS
5) 1.386 GW operational Hornsea 2 park (UK)
As of its commencement in September 2022, Hornsea 2 stands as the world’s largest operational offshore wind park, boasting a capacity of 1,386MW. This impressive project was developed by Ørsted, a renewable energy company headquartered in Denmark. The wind farm encompasses a total of 165 turbines, collectively capable of providing power to approximately 1.4 million households in the United Kingdom. Spanning across a vast area of 462 square kilometers, it occupies more than half the size of New York City.
Location: 89 km off the Yorkshire coast, United Kingdom
Developer: Ørsted
Image: Tyler Casey via Unsplash (14.09.2023)
