The CrossWind consortium, a joint venture between Shell in the Netherlands and Eneco, says that it has been awarded the tender for the subsidy-free offshore wind farm Hollandse Kust (noord). The wind farm is designed to help the Netherlands meet the objectives of the Dutch Climate Accord and the EU’s Green Deal. Both companies have already taken their final investment decisions on the project.
The consortium plans to have Hollandse Kust (noord) operational in 2023 with an installed capacity of 759 MW, generating at least 3.3 TWh per year. This is enough renewable power to supply more than 1 million Dutch households with green electricity. The wind farm will be located 18.5 km (11.5 mi) off the coast of the Netherlands near the town of Egmond aan Zee.
The companies noted that offshore wind projects tend to produce electricity intermittently. Balancing these dips and peaks and integrating this electricity into the national energy system will require new technologies, they said.
For these reasons, the Hollandse Kust offshore wind farm will include the following five technology demonstrations that could be implemented at full-scale in the future: a floating solar park; short-term battery storage; turbines that are optimally tuned to the network to minimize the negative ‘wake’-effects that wind turbines have on each other; ‘green hydrogen’ made by electrolysis as a further storage technique; and the combination of these individual measures to ensure a continuous power supply regardless of the wind situation. The CrossWind team said that it intends to work closely with universities and scientific institutions to develop further technical innovations.
Maarten Wetselaar, Director of Shell Integrated Gas and New Energies, comments: “We are proud to realize Hollandse Kust (noord) together with our joint venture partner, Eneco. Offshore wind will play a pivotal role in the worldwide energy transition. It will also be another important next step in our ambition to become a net-zero emission energy business by 2050 or sooner, in step with society. This wind farm is a crucial part of a new value chain – from wind to hydrogen – with our ambition to build a green hydrogen plant in Rotterdam and with NortH2. This investment fits very well with Shell’s aspirations to competitively deliver more and cleaner energy to our customers, at home, on the go and at work.”
Kees-Jan Rameau, chief strategic growth officer of Eneco, added: “We are pleased that we, together with our trusted partners, are making another major contribution to the Dutch energy transition. We are using our combined experience, expertise and financial capacity for the rapid realization of the first offshore innovative wind farm focused on system integration. The sustainable, locally generated energy will make an important contribution to our ambition to support every household and company in the Netherlands to switch to a sustainable and clean energy supply.”
Ravenna wind farm gets floating solar technology
Saipem says it plans to co-develop a wind farm with two other companies in the Adriatic Sea offshore Ravenna on Italy’s east coast.
It has signed a memorandum of understanding with AGNES, a specialist in renewable energy projects in the Adriatic Sea, in particular offshore and nearshore wind farms, floating solar panels at sea, energy storage systems and hydrogen production from renewable sources; and QINT’X, which focuses on solar, wind and hydroelectric energies and e-mobility (electric vehicles).
The project will involve installing around 56 turbines on fixed foundations on the seafloor at two sites, respectively more than 8 and 12 nautical mi from the shore, with overall installed power close to 450 MW.
Innovations deployed for the project will include floating solar technology based on a proprietary system developed by Moss Maritime, part of Saipem’s XSIGHT division which is dedicated to accelerating de-carbonization in the energy sector.
XSIGHT is working on integrated solutions for using renewable energy and for producing green hydrogen, and Agnes will be the first project to harness these. According to Saipem, this presents an opportunity to devise an alternative solution to decommissioning oil and gas platforms in the Adriatic Sea.
Mauro Piasere, COO of XSIGHT, said: “This agreement is consistent with the new business model adopted by the company [Saipem]…and introduced in 2019 as part of the agreement with Plambeck to develop wind farms with floating foundations in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
“Through the XSIGHT division, Saipem is planning to launch similar projects in Sicily and Sardinia as well, using floating foundations for wind turbines, thus supporting the Italian shipbuilding industry.”
Alberto Bernabini, CEO of QINT’X, added: “Our vision is to create a new green energy hub in the Adriatic Sea, integrating multiple technologies to generate clean energy from the wind, sun, and hydrogen.”
