North Sea Focus (1):Vestas Turbines for Dutch in North Sea

The Dutch energy company, Eneco has confirmed the Danish firm, Vestas, to supply wind turbines in a 129MW supply deal for a wind project off the Dutch North Sea coast. Eneco is one of the biggest energy suppliers in the Netherlands, providing electricity, gas and heat to more than two million customers, both business and domestic. In 2009, Eneco was awarded an exclusive right to develop 200MW in block Q10 in the Dutch territorial waters of the North Sea.

Vestas will supply 43 V112 3MW turbines (picture above). Construction will commence in 2013 with completion set for the following year.

Eneco said it hoped to expand the project to 150MW, by replacing seven of the turbines with next-generation 6MW machines. It had received a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation to complete the €400-450 million budget.

Vestas Wind Park1 North Sea Focus (1):Vestas Turbines for Dutch in North Sea

The Q10 wind farm is located 17 kilometres south of the existing Q7 Princess Amalia Wind Farm (left). It will be at the same 23 km distance from the coast and at a similar water depth (20-25 metres). The 200MW planned capacity will be sufficient to supply electricity for over 150,000 households.

Eneco’s  Energy Division Director Ton Meijer says “Not only is the Q10 location relatively favourable (water depth, distance from the coast), but it is also very similar to that of the Princess Amalia Wind Farm. This allows us to directly apply the knowledge and experience gained with that wind farm to Q10 and therefore construct a new offshore wind farm in a relatively short period of time.” 

Facts & figures

 Number of turbines  43 turbines

43x3megawatts or 36×3 megawatts+7×6 megawatts

 Capacity   129 or 150 megawatts
 Number of households  at least 135,000 or 150,000
 Location  23 km off the coast of Noordwijk,

17 km south of the Prinses Amalia Wind Farm

 Depth of drain  18 – 24 metres
 Investment amount  400 to 450 million euros
 SDE grant  up to 989 million euros, period 2014-2029
 Construction period  2013-2014

The Q10 is part of the Dutch government’s goal to have 6,000MW of offshore wind energy operational by 2020 in the Dutch part of the Continental Shelf of the North Sea. They have mapped out sites for 65 wind farms in the North Sea. The sites are in shallow water, far enough from shore to be unobtrusive and to reduce the risk of catching birds in their blades.

Similar-sized projects are planned for Britain, Ireland, France, Germany and the United States.