Van Oord has been contracted for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of the monopile foundations and array cables for RWE's Sofia offshore wind farm project.

Sited on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195km from the North East coast of the UK, the 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm is one of the world's largest offshore wind projects. 

Through its UK branch MPI Offshore, Van Oord will create a logistics hub to deliver the comprehensive scope of work. Offshore installation vessel Aeolus will be deployed to install the 100 extended monopile foundations without transition pieces. The 350km of array cables will be installed by cable-laying vessel Nexus. Van Oord will sub-contract the fabrication of the foundations and array cables. 

"Our project team is busy preparing for this great offshore wind project. Now that the contract is signed, the design phase will be started and the project team will commence its activities from our Stokesley office'" said Arnoud Kuis, MD Van Oord Offshore Wind.

"RWE and Van Oord know each other well having worked together on four UK projects prior to the signing of this most recent EPCI contract for foundations and array cables. At 1.4GW, Sofia is our largest and most ambitious offshore wind development to date. We look forward to leveraging our vast experience and learnings as we progress into the construction of this flagship project, and to realising its potential in terms of contributing to the UK's net-zero energy ambitions," said Sven Utermöhlen, COO Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables.