German utility EnBW made industry headlines in 2017 when it won Germany’s first offshore wind auction with its 960MW He Dreiht project.

In a sector up to then dominated by government support, He Dreiht would have to pay its own way as Germany embarked on what was seen as a bold experiment in zero-subsidy tenders.

EnBW said then that synergies with nearby projects and the rise of supersize turbines would help its economics – He Dreiht was the first to order Vestas’ new 15MW V236 machine.

But in terms of selling its power, corporate PPAs are the only game in town short of full merchant wholesale exposure for the project as it nears full entry into service next year.

Parcel giant DHL was in June the latest corporate to sign up for a chunk of He Dreiht’s power, 80GWh for 10 years, representing about 20MW of its capacity.

DHL joined other publicly disclosed buyers such as chemicals giant Evonik (150MW), Frankfurt Airport (85MW), steel group Salzgitter (50MW) and Bosch (50MW).

EnBW told Recharge that more than half of the power that He Dreiht will produce is now under contract. Will more follow?

“EnBW generally plans to choose the most economic marketing options,” said a spokesperson. “Additionally, project-specific conditions play a significant role. For He Dreiht, we expect to conclude further PPAs.”

Asked about the challenges of concluding multiple power deals for a project, the spokesperson added: “Every project developer and investor tries to maximise value based on the project-specific framework conditions. PPAs for new offshore wind farms can be complex and this is one of the reasons why finding the best balance for buyer and seller needs time. It’s not just a contract, it’s a long-term partnership.”

'The Champions League of power deals': but who's playing in offshore wind?