Dutch power utility Eneco has announced that it has been granted exclusivity in the race for the offshore wind farms, Q10 off the coast of IJmuiden and Callantsoog Noord. In addition, Eneco has registered at the Crown Estate in Great Britain as one of the potential candidates to develop, build and operate one of the Round 3 concessions.
At the beginning of March 2009, Eneco had submitted a proposal to the Crown Estate in Great Britain to realize an offshore wind farm in the British waters. The Crown Estate had issued an invitation to tender for that purpose, the 3rd Round Offshore Wind UK.
The Crown Estate will evaluate the submitted proposals during the next few months and intends to conclude zone development agreements with candidates towards the end of 2009.
The staged construction activities for these plans will begin in 2015. It is then expected that the wind farms from this third round will be fully operational in 2020 to fulfill the British government’s requirements to increase the UK’s wind capacity.
In addition to bidding for Round 3, Eneco has been granted exclusivity for the wind farms Q10 and Callantsoog Noord in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Eneco hopes to obtain the permits for the construction of these wind farms in 2009. Eneco anticipates that the farms can be operational in 2012-13, provided that subsidies are granted promptly.
