Rotterdam plans new terminal for offshore wind

The quay will be suitable for jack-up vessels and pre-assembly activities on the quay, with a roll-on/roll-off facility also planned so that different modes of transport can be accommodated.

The terminal, a spokesperson said, will also be equipped for the decommissioning of offshore wind farms and is expected to be ready mid-2029.

“With this project, the Port of Rotterdam Authority aims to provide the offshore wind industry with the necessary capacity and stimulate growth in the sector,” said a statement. “More wind farms will be built in the North Sea in the coming years. The required port capacity at the right specifications is currently a limiting factor. With the completion of the terminal, the Port Authority is providing the large-scale, high-quality infrastructure that the market demands.”

The Netherlands is certainly taking offshore wind seriously.

According to the think-tank ’Invest & Innovate in Greater Rotterdam-The Hague’, accumulated turn-over in offshore wind now amounts to €2.2 billion.

It says that 6,800 new wind farms will be realised by 2030, with another seven lots designated for offshore wind opening for tender in the coming years.

”The Netherlands is quadrupling its offshore wind energy by 2020, with wind parks with capacities up to 14 MW being deployed along the coastlines,” it says. “The Rotterdam Port area has been designated to house the entire supply chain for wind energy deployment in order to minimise interfaces and reduce costs.”