"Decarbonising industry is key to achieving climate goals in Europe" Interview with Dr Samira Barakat, Vattenfall

In the following interview Dr Samira Barakat, MD Vattenfall Europe Wind GmbH and VP Partnerships and Business Transformation BA Wind, will talk about the role of German for Vattenfall's offshore business.

REH: Together with BASF, you are realizing the Nordlicht 1 and Nordlicht 2 offshore wind farms. Please describe the project and its special features. This is already the second major project with the chemical company. Are other similar projects planned?

Dr Samira Barakat: "Vattenfall, in partnership with BASF, is developing the Nordlicht cluster located in the German North Sea with the total capacity of 1.6 GW. Once fully operational in the years 2028 and 2029, Nordlicht I & II will provide clean energy equivalent to the consumption of 1.7 million households and will supply BASF’s chemical production sites in Europe, particularly in Ludwigshafen. Additionally, we have secured an offtake agreement with Salzgitter AG to support the decarbonisation of their steel production. Vattenfall and BASF have a long-standing relationship. The partnership on the Nordlicht cluster, following our collaboration on Hollandse Kust Zuid in the Netherlands, is a natural continuation of our successful cooperation. We hope to see similar partnerships in the future with other industry partners.

Decarbonising industry is key to achieving our climate goals in Europe and direct or indirect electrification will be one of the key enablers , also in hard to abate sectors. To effectively drive and scale relevant solutions, we need to actively engage and collaborate with the entire value chain. Beyond offshore wind, there are other examples of such partnerships: In Sweden, Vattenfall is working with SSAB (a steel manufacturer) and LKAB (a mining company) in the joint project HYBRIT to develop the world's first fossil-free, ore-based iron and steel production using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen gas."

REH: Vattenfall is a pan-European offshore player - which other markets besides Germany do we play a major role for you - UK, Netherlands, perhaps completely new markets?

Dr Samira Barakat: "Vattenfall is a pioneer in the offshore wind industry and has established a strong leadership position as a regional champion in north-west Europe. We operate a portfolio of 4.5 GW across Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK – some of the most established markets globally. With strong government commitment, these markets offer attractive future project opportunities. Our development portfolio exceeds 10 GW and will further strengthen our position. Additionally, we are developing Finland’s first large-scale offshore wind farm in collaboration with Metsähallitus. Complementary to the offshore portfolio, Vattenfall can build on an integrated setup with a strong portfolio of other fossil free sources of generation, as well as a strong customer base, especially in Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands."

REH: Apart from Offshore Wind, how important is Germany in terms for renewable growth for Vattenfall?

Dr Samira Barakat: "The high demand for fossil-free production and energy services in Germany offers Vattenfall a wide range of growth opportunities. The investment prospects are attractive: Germany is the fastest growing market for renewable energy in Europe. German electricity demand could double by 2045. As an integrated utility covering power generation from offshore and onshore wind, solar, flexible storage, trading, customer solutions and e-mobility, Vattenfall wants to play a key role in shaping the energy transition in Germany - and plans to invest several billion euros in the German market by 2028. Solar & Batteries is Vattenfall’s fastest growing business area in Germany. Future solar and battery projects will be developed exclusively in combination at one location. Another focus is on Agri-PV; the combination of agriculture and solar for better land use, we believe this is a win-win. Moreover, Vattenfall is a long-term thinking, stable and competent partner for onshore wind projects and we look forward to developing more onshore projects in Germany."

Thank you very much for this inspiring and interesting talk!