50Hertz Secures Long-Term Offshore Grid Integration Agreement with Skyborn to Enable Gennaker Wind Farm Commissioning by 2028

50Hertz CEO Stefan Kapferer and Skyborn CEO Patrick Lamers at the symbolic signing of the contract regarding Offshore substations Zingst and Darß. Photo: Niemann

(IN BRIEF) 50Hertz and Skyborn Renewables have concluded a comprehensive cooperation agreement covering the construction and operation of two offshore substations for the Gennaker offshore wind farm, providing legal clarity and enabling commissioning by mid-2028. Located in German territorial waters, Gennaker will comprise 63 high-capacity turbines and represents the first offshore wind project connected under the territorial waters regulation. The agreement establishes a detailed framework for shared platform use, grid connection responsibilities and long-term operation, supporting up to 927 megawatts of grid capacity through the OSS Zingst and OSS Darß platforms. The project is expected to play a key role in expanding offshore wind generation in the German Baltic Sea and advancing Germany’s long-term energy transition.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERLIN, 27-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — 50Hertz has reached a significant contractual milestone with offshore wind developer Skyborn Renewables by formalising a cooperation agreement for the construction and operation of two offshore substations required for the Gennaker offshore wind farm. The platform agreement establishes a legally secure framework for grid connection and operations, clearing the way for commissioning of the entire system by mid-2028.

The agreement resolves complex legal and regulatory questions linked to offshore wind projects located in German territorial waters and sets a practical precedent for future developments within the 12-nautical-mile zone. By providing clarity on responsibilities and cooperation models, the project partners are enabling continued momentum in offshore wind expansion in the Baltic Sea.

The Gennaker offshore wind farm will be developed off the coast of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula and will comprise 63 turbines in the 15-megawatt class. The project received full approval from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in December, with installation of the turbines scheduled to begin in late summer 2027. The newly concluded cooperation agreement is a critical prerequisite for commissioning the grid connection system, currently planned for July 2028.

Stefan Kapferer, Chief Executive Officer of 50Hertz, highlighted the broader significance of the project, noting that more than three gigawatts of offshore wind capacity are expected to be connected to the transmission grid in the German Baltic Sea by the end of the decade. He underlined Gennaker’s role in contributing to this expansion and pointed to the importance of joint problem-solving to address technical, legal and economic challenges in a demanding market environment.

Patrick Lamers, Chief Executive Officer of Skyborn Renewables, described the agreement as a decisive step toward delivering the Gennaker project. He emphasised that the cooperation with 50Hertz establishes a robust and forward-looking framework for connecting offshore wind farms in territorial waters, demonstrating how strong partnerships can translate complex regulatory settings into concrete progress for Germany’s energy transition and long-term energy security.

As the first offshore wind farm to be connected under the territorial waters regulation, Gennaker required tailored solutions to address a range of intricate legal issues. Since 2022, offshore wind farms in territorial waters have been incorporated into the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency’s offshore wind planning framework. Once approval is granted under the Federal Immission Control Act, operators are entitled to a grid connection, providing greater certainty for project development.

The grid connection concept for Gennaker includes two offshore substations, OSS Zingst and OSS Darß, with a combined connection capacity of up to 927 megawatts. The platforms are currently under construction at shipyards in the Netherlands and will be jointly used by 50Hertz and Skyborn as part of both the wind farm and grid connection infrastructure. The cooperation agreement defines responsibilities across all project phases, including design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. Shared platform use in the Baltic Sea has already demonstrated benefits in terms of cost efficiency, reduced spatial footprint and lower environmental impact.

Once operational, the two platforms will collect electricity generated by the Gennaker turbines and convert it to 220-kilovolt high voltage. Power will then be transmitted via three subsea and onshore cable systems forming the OST-6-1 grid connection to the new Gnewitz substation, located approximately 70 to 90 kilometres away. Construction at the substation site is already well advanced, while approvals for offshore cable routes and onshore landfall near Dierhagen have enabled substantial progress on associated infrastructure. Although approval procedures for the offshore platforms and onshore cable routes are still ongoing, all required planning documents have been submitted.

About Skyborn Renewables

Skyborn is an accomplished offshore wind developer and operator with more than 20 years’ experience, headquartered in Germany. The company’s capabilities cover the entire offshore wind value chain, including greenfield development, project engineering and design, procurement, financing, corporate power purchase agreements, construction management and asset management. Skyborn is a portfolio company of New York based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a leading infrastructure investor and part of Blackrock.

About 50Hertz

50Hertz operates the electricity transmission system in the north and east of Germany, which it expands as needed for the energy transition. Our extra high voltage grid has an electrical circuit length of more than 10,000 kilometres, or the distance between Berlin and Rio de Janeiro. The 50Hertz control area covers Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, as well as the city states of Berlin and Hamburg. Within these regions, 50Hertz and its more than 2.500 employees ensure that 18 million people are supplied with electricity around the clock. 50Hertz is a forerunner in the field of secure integration of renewable energy. In our grid area, we want to integrate 100 percent renewable energies securely into the grid and system by 2032 – calculated over the year. In this way, we supply affordable energy for a strong economy. The shareholders of 50Hertz are the Belgian holding Elia Group (80 percent), which is listed on the stock exchange, and the KfW bank group with 20 percent. As a European TSO, 50Hertz is a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).

Press officer | Volker Gustedt | T +49 30 5150 2878 | M +49 151 5537 7634 | volker.gustedt@50hertz.com

SOURCE: 50Hertz