Swedish energy company Vattenfall and grid operator TenneT have signed an agreement for the construction of an offshore grid connection for the Hollandse Kust Zuid I and II wind farms.
Image: TenneT’s offshore transformer platform (artist’s impression). Photo: Courtesy of TenneT Holding B.V.
The agreement is about building a connection to transmit electricity from Vattenfall’s 700MW wind farm to TenneT Hollandse Kust Zuid Alpha offshore platform.
In March 2018, Vattenfall had secured this first subsidy free public tender issued by the Dutch government.
Hollandse Kust Zuid I and II wind farms are expected to have a capacity between 700 and 750MW. These wind farms will be located 22.2km from the Dutch west coast and will be spread in an area of 356km2. These wind farms will generate enough electricity which could be supplied between 1 and 1.5 million households.
TenneT offshore Nederland senior manager Marco Kuijpers said: “This agreement is another fantastic step towards making the Dutch electricity system sustainable.
“The sea grid is now really taking shape, first with 1,400 MW in the Borssele wind area, followed by Hollandse Kust Zuid and finally Hollandse Kust Noord in 2023. In the meantime, we’re preparing for the next North Sea projects in consultation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate.”
Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore grid includes two transformer platforms at sea, each with a 700MW capacity, two 220 kV alternating current cables per platform, a yet-to-be-constructed onshore substation and an expansion of the existing ‘De Maasvlakte’ onshore high voltage substation.
The onshore substation will act as the bridge between the wind farm and TenneT’s Randstad 380 kV Zuidring. Electricity generated from the wind farm will be supplied to consumers across the country via the national high voltage grid.
TenneT has been officially designated by the Dutch government as an offshore grid operator. It is realizing grid connections at sea with a total capacity of at least 3.5GW, in accordance with a standardised concept of 700MW per grid connection.
Two connections from the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore grid will have a capacity of 1.4GW and they are expected to be operational in 2021 and 2023, in accordance with the agreement.
Last month, the Swedish company installed the first turbine at its Horns Rev 2 offshore wind farm, with a capacity of 406MW. This will be enough to be supplied to about 425,000 Danish households.