Wind Energy – Grid Connection
The consortium of pension fund ABP, pension investor APG and wind energy developer SSE has signed a Realisation Agreement with Transmission System Operator TenneT for the Dutch offshore grid connection of IJmuiden Ver Alpha wind farm.
The wind farm will be built over 60 kilometres off the Dutch coast as the first offshore wind farm to be connected by TenneT according to the new 2GW direct current standard, and is expected to be commissioned by the end of this decade.
The Realisation Agreement enables the development and construction of the physical grid infrastructure required to connect the wind farm to the Dutch high voltage grid. Generated electricity from the wind farm will come ashore in Borssele and will be converted to alternating current at a converter station so that the power can be transported on the high-voltage grid to end users.
TenneT’s offshore grid connection is expected to be operational by the end of 2029.
The consortium of ABP/APG and SSE Renewables won the tender for the development of IJmuiden Ver Alpha wind farm, an offshore wind farm with an installed capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW), in June 2024. The tender criteria for this lot focused on making a positive contribution to nature.
The consortium proposed a diverse package of measures to mitigate the impact on ecology, and increase biodiversity. Also, in collaboration with Naturalis Biodiversity Center, ABP/APG and SSE Renewables will investigate and monitor how wind farms can contribute to protecting and strengthening the ecosystem.
Jasper Vis, Netherlands Country Manager at SSE Renewables, said: “With the signing of the realisation agreement, we are taking another important step to progress development of the 2 GW Alpha site in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone. This represents an unrivalled opportunity for our consortium of SSE Renewables with ABP/APG to work collaboratively with TenneT to realise the potential of this innovative new 2GW offshore wind farm. If approved for delivery, this wind farm can supply green energy to Dutch consumers via TenneT’s next generation of grid-to-se connections.”
Maarten Abbenhuis, Chief Operating Officer at TenneT, said: “The signing of this realisation agreement marks the start of the collaboration between TenneT and the consortium that will build IJmuiden Ver Alpha. This consortium has a strong Dutch link through the involvement of APG combined with the experience of the international renewable energy developer SSE Renewables. Together, we are ambitious to successfully develop this first 2GW connection and the wind farm. It is an important step in making the Dutch energy supply more sustainable for consumers and industry. Moreover, with this first 2GW project, the Netherlands is once again showing that the energy transition and attention to the impact on nature go well together.”
