FRANKFURT, Jan 6 (Reuters) - German energy group RWE and Canada's Northland Power on Thursday unveiled plans for a 51-49 joint venture to build three offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 1.3 gigawatts in the North Sea.

The farms, which are expected to start commercial operation between 2026 and 2028, are expected to result in synergies during development and construction, RWE said, without being more specific.

"Germany has set itself ambitious climate targets, thereby establishing a significant growth potential for renewable energies," said Sven Utermoehlen, who leads the offshore unit of RWE's renewables division.

"RWE is making its contribution to this and is significantly stepping up the pace here." (Reporting by Christoph Steitz Editing by Madeline Chambers)