Amprion has identified the wreckage of a World War II US B-17 bomber during routine ordnance surveys for the DolWin4 offshore grid connection. The remains were found around 260 metres from the planned DolWin delta converter platform. The discovery will not delay the project.
As the aircraft belonged to the United States armed forces, the US Air Force at Ramstein Air Base and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency were involved. The investigation was carried out by Rheinmetall EOD Services under DPAA supervision.
Between mid-November and Christmas 2025, the site was surveyed using electromagnetic equipment and the wreckage excavated from around 1.5 metres below the seabed. The bomb bay was located and inspected, confirming that no ordnance remained on board. The surrounding area was cleared for construction to proceed.
Further analysis is ongoing to support aircraft identification and assess any indication of human remains, in coordination with German authorities and the US agency.
DolWin4 and BorWin4 are due to enter operation in 2028. The offshore grid connections will transport electricity from North Sea wind farms via subsea cables of 60 kilometres and 125 kilometres, passing beneath Norderney and making landfall near Hilgenriedersiel before continuing around 155 kilometres to the Hanekenfähr substation in Lingen (Ems). The nearby Emsland Nuclear Power Plant was shut down in April 2023.
Together, DolWin4 and BorWin4 will add 1.8 GW of offshore wind capacity to replace generation previously supplied at the Lingen site.
