Gode Wind wind farms, Power plant complex in North Sea, Germany
Gode Wind is a group of offshore wind farms located in the German exclusive economic zone of the North Sea, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the island of Borkum. The complex is divided into separate construction phases, with turbines mounted on steel foundations driven into the seabed and connected to the mainland grid by undersea cables.
The first plans for Gode Wind were drawn up by the German company PNE Wind AG, which later sold the project to the Danish energy group Orsted. Construction took place in stages, with the first turbines beginning to generate power in the mid-2010s and additional phases following in subsequent years.
The name Gode Wind comes from the Low German expression for "good wind," which fits naturally for a place where strong sea breezes blow almost constantly. Coastal communities in the region have grown used to seeing the turbines on the horizon, and they now form a familiar part of the seascape.
The farms are far offshore and are not open to general visitors, as there is no regular public access to the platforms themselves. Anyone wishing to see the turbines up close should contact local port authorities or boat operators along the North Sea coast to find out whether any organized trips are available.
The turbines at Gode Wind are designed to keep running even during the kind of rough conditions that would shut down most land-based equipment, because the open sea generates far steadier and stronger winds than any coastal site. This means the farms can produce power on days when land turbines nearby might be sitting still.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
