Germany's first offshore wind farm starts working

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s first offshore wind power park, Alpha Venture in the North Sea, has begun the gradual commissioning of the first three of its total 12 turbines, a spokesman for the venture said on Wednesday.

“I had information last night that the three have started running and full test production levels will be reached within days,” said the spokesman for DOTI — a joint venture owned by utilities E.ON, Vattenfall Europe and EWE.

Countries like Denmark and Britain already have advanced offshore wind industries but their turbines are not situated as far out at sea as Germany’s planned projects.

These hope to benefit from stronger winds further out while sparing wildlife near the coast, which involves building especially strong, 30-meter-deep, steel foundations.

Reuters