What we delivered

  • Global specialised expertise and local knowledge to deliver onshore and offshore substation design reviews, ensuring alignment with safety standards, best practices, and RWE policies

  • Future proofing on- and offshore substation design to accept possible new, more sustainable solutions

Services used
Civil engineering / Fire safety engineering / Ground engineering and hydrogeology / Mechanical engineering /

Get in touch with our team

RWE’s 1GW Thor Offshore Wind Farm is set to be the largest wind farm in the country when fully operational in 2027. Set off the West coast of Denmark in the North Sea, the wind farm will comprise of seventy-two 15MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines. RWE expects to generate enough green electricity to power over 1 million Danish homes.

For RWE, one of the largest power producers in Europe, Thor Wind Farm represents their largest construct and operate offshore wind project in Denmark. Two new substations, one at sea and one on land, will collect and export electricity 22km to shore and connect to the Danish energy grid.

Building on Arup’s client relationship with RWE in other markets around the world, Arup combined global specialised expertise and local knowledge to deliver onshore and offshore substation design reviews, ensuring alignment with safety standards, best practice, and RWE policies. 

When complete, Thor will significantly and sustainably contribute to the country’s growing energy demands, while supporting Denmark’s economy and local communities, where RWE expects the project to create up to 60 permanent jobs. The successful and on-time operation of the wind farm will significantly increase Denmark’s share of electricity produced from renewable sources, helping to realise Denmark’s 2045 net zero ambition.

Cordelia Overland-Farstad

Senior Civil Engineer, RWE

Arup provided services including HVAC design and commissioning support, fire risk assessment, civil, structural and geotechnical engineering verifications. We supported a review of the firefighting systems in line with local standards for the design of assets and operations in an offshore context. We also worked with RWE and technical suppliers to ensure compliance with Danish regulations on F-gases that will be applied across the EU from 2025. The ability to provide knowledge of local regulations and best practice was key in enabling the client to review and accept designs from their main contractors that are based in Germany and The Netherlands. 

Aligned with RWE’s sustainability focus, Arup advised on the future-proofing of the on- and offshore substation designs to allow possible new and more sustainable solutions to be implemented over the asset lifetime. This included evaluation of alternative systems and technologies, anticipating and mitigating future spatial constraints. In our year-long engagement on the Thor Wind farm, we have supported RWE in addressing design assumptions within the local context and worked closely with the main contractor and sub-contractors to ensure offshore and onshore substation design acceptance adhering to project development timelines.