Transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT has signed a realisation agreement with the consortium of pension fund ABP, pension investor APG, and wind energy developer SSE for the Dutch offshore grid connection of the 2 GW IJmuiden Ver Alpha wind farm.
The realisation agreement enables the development and construction of the physical grid infrastructure required to connect the offshore wind farm to the Dutch high-voltage grid.
The electricity generated from the 2 GW project 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 planned to be operational by the end of 2029.
“Our consortium, together with TenneT, is proud to take this first step towards the realisation of the newest and largest wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. TenneT is introducing an impressive new standard with the 2GW direct current connection. This will soon allow the generated green power – about 7% of the current Dutch electricity demand – to be efficiently transmitted from the sea to households and businesses in the country,” said Bart Saenen , Senior Director Infrastructure Investments at APG.
The Noordzeker consortium, consisting of ABP/APG and SSE Renewables, won the tender for the development of the IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind farm in June 2024.
The project is planned to be built 60 kilometres off the Dutch coast and is expected to be commissioned by the end of this decade.
IJmuiden Ver Alpha would be the first wind farm to be connected according to the new 2 GW standard, said TenneT. The TSO is realising seven of these new grid connections for offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea until 2032.
The Netherlands aims to achieve 21 GW of energy from offshore wind by 2032. In total, the country currently has 4.7 GW of installed offshore wind capacity.