The Dutch senate has appointed Tenne T to develop and operate the offshore grid in the Netherlands.
The senate has adopted an amendment of the Electricity Act associated to the rules for offshore wind energy development, providing the required legal basis for TenneT’s work.
Last December, the Senate turned down the STROOM bill, which resulted in a delay in the legislative decision-making process and put at risk the timely completion of the grid connections for the first offshore wind farms to be consrtucted near Borssele.
The tender for two 350MW offshore wind parks, the Borssele I and II, was scheduled to be undertaken in mid-January, but was postponed.
Even though there was the political uncertainty, TenneT went ahead with its preparations such as submission of permit applications and technical design finalization for offshore wind platforms.
Commenting on the latest amendment, TenneT CEO Mel Kroon said: "The adoption of this amendment to the Electricity Act means that TenneT can now apply the knowledge and expertise gained in Germany in connecting OWFs to the onshore grid, and use it to contribute to the energy transition in the Netherlands.
"Finalising the design for the offshore platforms required to connect the planned OWFs to the onshore grid is an important step in this process."
TenneT is claimed to be the first company in the world to link offshore wind farms at a voltage level of 66 kV instead of 33 kV, which it says results in the reduction of power losses during transport and lower cabling costs.
TenneT realized 3,750MW of offshore wind connection projects in the German North Sea andwill use that experience while working on the Dutch grid.
The operator is planning to build five standardized platforms in the coming years with a total capacity of 3,500MW to transport wind energy to the Dutch onshore grid.
It noted that the standardization of the platforms will lower the development, construction and maintenance costs.
The platforms will feature a substructure which is used for anchoring platform in the seabed, a cable deck which leads subsea cables from the substructure to the superstructure.
The superstructure features transformers, switchgear and other technical installations.
Image: Landscape platform concept offshore. Photo: courtesy of Tenne T.