Cadeler completes He Dreiht turbine campaign as Wind Keeper enters service

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Cadeler has completed turbine installation at the 960 MW He Dreiht Offshore Wind Farm in the German North Sea, closing a 16 month offshore campaign involving two installation vessels and 64 of Vestas’ largest turbines.

The final units were installed by Wind Keeper, which assumed responsibility for the remaining scope during the first quarter of 2026 under Cadeler’s long term contract with Vestas.

The milestone completes the first commercial scale installation campaign for the V236 15.0 MW turbine platform. Developed by EnBW, He Dreiht is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply approximately 1.1 million households once fully operational.

Cadeler began offshore work at He Dreiht in April 2025 using Wind Orca. Wind Keeper subsequently took over the remaining turbine installations, effectively turning the programme into a two vessel relay across successive construction phases.

The campaign was Wind Keeper’s first offshore wind installation assignment since the vessel joined Cadeler’s fleet following its acquisition and an extensive upgrade.

For offshore wind developers and turbine suppliers, a vessel transition during an active project requires close coordination of equipment, personnel, installation procedures and weather planning. Cadeler said the remaining scope was completed under the long term agreement it announced with Vestas in 2025.

“Completion of turbine installation at He Dreiht is an important milestone for our V236 15.0 MW platform and a testament to what can be achieved through strong collaboration across the offshore value chain,” said Henrik Thun, He Dreiht project director at Vestas.

Thun thanked Cadeler for supporting the safe and efficient installation of all 64 turbines, adding that work would now progress through commissioning and into operation.

He Dreiht is the first wind farm to deploy the Vestas V236 15.0 MW turbine at commercial scale. The 64 units provide the project’s total installed capacity of 960 MW.

The size of the turbines allows developers to achieve a given generating capacity with fewer units than would be required using smaller machines. That can reduce the number of foundations, array cable connections and offshore installation cycles needed across a project, although each component places greater demands on vessels, cranes and port infrastructure.

Wind Keeper is equipped with a main crane capable of lifting 2,200 tonnes. The vessel can support turbine construction as well as operations and maintenance work through Nexra, Cadeler’s service platform.

The completion of He Dreiht’s turbine installation programme therefore also serves as an operational test of the upgraded vessel within Cadeler’s fleet. Its ability to work across both construction and maintenance phases gives the company additional flexibility when assigning vessels under long term agreements.

“We are proud to have supported Vestas in successfully delivering the first commercial installation campaign for the V236 15.0 MW turbine,” said Mikkel Gleerup, chief executive of Cadeler.

Gleerup said projects of this scale depend on a shared commitment to safe and predictable execution. He added that Wind Keeper’s debut strengthened Cadeler’s ability to support customers during both construction and operational phases.

He Dreiht is located approximately 90 kilometres northwest of Borkum and about 110 kilometres west of Helgoland. Its position in the German North Sea places the project within one of Europe’s principal offshore wind development areas.

With all turbines now installed, activity moves toward commissioning the units and preparing the wind farm for full operation. This stage includes completing the systems needed to bring individual turbines online and integrate their output with the wider offshore and onshore electricity infrastructure.

The project’s progress will also provide Vestas with operating experience from the first commercial scale deployment of its 15 MW platform. For Cadeler, completion records the first installation campaign delivered by Wind Keeper since the vessel entered its upgraded fleet.