Vattenfall Confirms Full FID for Nordlicht I and II as Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Project Moves Forward

Vattenfall Confirms Full FID for Nordlicht I and II as Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Project Moves Forward

(IN BRIEF) Vattenfall has taken the full Final Investment Decision for its Nordlicht offshore wind cluster after the permit for Nordlicht II became irrevocable, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for the project. Comprising Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II, the cluster will deliver more than 1.6 GW of capacity, with construction starting in 2026 and full operations expected by 2028. Nordlicht I is set to become Germany’s largest offshore wind farm, while the overall project is positioned to accelerate the country’s energy transition and support industrial decarbonisation. Sustainability measures, including the use of low-emission steel in turbine towers, are expected to significantly reduce the project’s carbon footprint. The development further strengthens Vattenfall’s role as a major player in Europe’s offshore wind sector.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 14-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Vattenfall has reached a major milestone in the development of its Nordlicht offshore wind cluster after the permit for Nordlicht II, issued by Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), became legally binding and irrevocable. With this final regulatory step completed, the company has now taken the full Final Investment Decision (FID) for the entire Nordlicht project, which comprises the Nordlicht I and Nordlicht II offshore wind farms.

Construction activities for the cluster are scheduled to commence in 2026. Nordlicht I is set to become Germany’s largest offshore wind project and will lead the build-out, with monopile installation planned to begin in the third quarter of this year. Nordlicht II is expected to follow roughly a year later. Once completed, both wind farms are targeted to enter commercial operation in 2028, delivering more than 1.6 GW of net capacity and playing a significant role in advancing Germany’s energy transition while supporting the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries.

Vattenfall had previously taken a full FID for Nordlicht I in March 2025, while Nordlicht II received a conditional investment decision dependent on the granting of its outstanding permit. The newly confirmed irrevocable permit removes this condition, allowing Vattenfall to proceed with full confidence across the entire cluster. Earlier, in October 2025, the company had already secured planning approval for Nordlicht II from the BSH, establishing the statutory framework required for construction.

According to Catrin Jung, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Wind at Vattenfall, the confirmation of the permit and the final investment decision represent a pivotal step for the project. She emphasised that Nordlicht goes beyond expanding offshore wind capacity, highlighting its role in strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and improving energy system resilience through the local production of fossil-free electricity.

Sustainability considerations are embedded into the project’s design. Both Nordlicht wind farms will incorporate turbine towers that partially use low-emission steel, a move expected to cut the projects’ overall carbon footprint by around 16 percent.

The Nordlicht development further reinforces Vattenfall’s position as one of Europe’s leading offshore wind developers. In the previous year, the company, in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, secured an irrevocable permit for the 2 GW Zeevonk offshore wind project in the Netherlands. That project is also intended to support the production of green hydrogen for Dutch industry, underlining Vattenfall’s broader strategy to scale renewable energy and support industrial decarbonisation across Europe.

About Vattenfall

Vattenfall is a European energy company with approximately 21,000 employees. For more than 100 years we have electrified industries, supplied energy to people’s homes and modernised our way of living through innovation and cooperation. We are working for fossil freedom.

Media Contact:

Vattenfall Media Relations, phone: +46 (0)8 739 50 10, e-mail: press@vattenfall.com 
Maja Schubert, phone: +49 1703250901, e-mail: maja.schubert@vattenfall.de 

SOURCE: Vattenfall