Newest Netherlands OSW farm powers up
The Hollandse Kust offshore wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands is the latest to come online, generating enough electricity for more than a million Dutch households.
The project was a joint venture called CrossWind between Shell and Eneco, in which 70 wind turbine foundations and inter-array cables were installed by Van Oord, which also took care of the transport of the turbines themselves.
Installing the foundations has taken just over a year, beginning in October 2022, which Van Oord says makes it one of the fastest installed wind farms of its kind.
Fallpipe vessels Bravenes ease and Nordnes were used alongside jack-up vessel MPI Resolution, cable-laying vessel Nexus, and trencher Dig-It, with help from industry partners Deme, Seajacks and Cadeler.
Offshore wind is essential in achieving the energy transition in the Netherlands, says Van Oord.
“Van Oord has played an important role in the development and construction of Dutch offshore wind farms, such as Gemini Offshore Wind Park, Windpark Fryslân and offshore wind farm Borssele III & IV and site V,” the firm said. “With the completion of the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm, Van Oord can add another project to its track record.”
The wind farm has a power generation capacity of 759MW.
The Netherlands has an ambitious target of supplying all of its energy needs with renewable energy by 2050, with offshore wind contributing 16% by 2030.
“Much of the North Sea is already being used, by shipping and fishing and for oil and gas extraction, for example,” the Dutch government says. “There are also sand mining areas, military training zones and nature reserves. At some locations, the sea is too deep to be suitable for wind turbines. The greater the distance to the coast, the longer and more expensive the cabling and maintenance will be as well
“As a result, determining the eventual location of wind turbines is a very delicate process. Relevant factors include affordability and energy yield, as well as the impact on nature and the other interests referred to above.
“The same also applies in respect of the procedures for installing the connections of the offshore grid. The precise location of the landing connection, both at sea and on land, is also discussed at length with local parties in workshops or during information sessions.”
