Germany launches first offshore wind farm in Baltic Sea

Berlin, Germany (AHN) – Germany inaugurated on Monday its first commercial offshore wind farm located in the country’s northeastern Baltic coast.

Chancellor Angela Merkel led the inauguration of the 21-turbine Baltic 1 in the coastal village of Zingst. The energy firm Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) owns and operates the offshore wind farm which can generate 50 megawatts of electricity.

Baltic 1 has 21 turbines spread in three square miles of sea, about 10 miles from the Darss Peninsula. The 328-foot-long rotor of each turbine can produce 2.3 megawatts of power. Engineering firm Siemens built the turbines that can power about 50,000 homes.

EnBW is also building a second offshore wind farm called Baltic 2 off the island of Rügen. This wind farm will have 80 turbines to power 340,000 households.

Baltic 2 will cost $1.7 billion to construct and is targeted for completion by 2013.

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