Dutch electricity transmission system operator TenneT and wind farm developer CrossWind, a JV of Shell and Eneco, have signed agreements for the construction of the offshore grid connection for the Hollandse Kust (noord) wind farm, which is being built some 18.5 kilometers off the Dutch coast at Egmond aan Zee.
"The signed agreements concern the realization, connection, and transmission of power between the wind farm of CrossWind and the platform of TenneT," Tennet said.
The agreement signed by CrossWind and TenneT formalizes the connection of the offshore wind farm to the Dutch electricity grid. The agreement covers liabilities during the construction and operational phase, the technical aspects of the grid connection and applicable technical standards, and the requirements in terms of compliance with laws and regulations.
The offshore wind farm and the grid connection are scheduled to be operational in 2023, enabling CrossWind to supply wind energy equivalent to the consumption of more than one million Dutch households through TenneT's offshore grid.
Tjalling de Bruin, CEO of CrossWind: "These agreements with TenneT mark an important milestone in this project. We have a tight schedule to get this offshore wind farm ready on time and supplying clean electricity in 2023. Moreover, we want to apply five innovations in the wind farm to learn how we can also supply electricity when there is no wind. Because of the ambitious planning and these innovations, close cooperation with TenneT is essential."
"The development of the Dutch offshore grid is in full swing," says Marco Kuijpers, Director of Offshore Projects at TenneT. "Hollandse Kust (north) is the third wind area for which we will develop a 700 MW standardized AC connection. Until 2030 we will connect at least 9.6 GW of offshore wind energy to the Dutch high-voltage grid. We delivered Borssele Alpha and Borssele Beta in 2019 and 2020 respectively, in good cooperation with Ørsted and the Blauwwind consortium, safely, within budget and on schedule. We look forward to working with Crosswind."
The wind farm Hollandse Kust (north) will have an installed capacity of 759 Megawatt. The generated power will be transported through the offshore grid. This offshore grid is the total grid connection from the offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust (north) until the high-voltage substation in Beverwijk. The electricity will then be transported to consumers via the national high-voltage grid.
Watch the recording of World Energy Report's Offshore Wind Webinar "Outlook for Offshore Wind Power: The Frontier of Future Energy."