Shell and Google have signed a corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the electricity generated at the 108 MW NordzeeWind project, extending the life of the Netherlands’ first offshore wind farm.
Shell NordzeeWind will continue supplying renewable energy to the Dutch electricity grid for almost five years longer than initially planned. This marks the first time a corporate PPA has facilitated the life extension of an offshore wind farm, said Shell.
Built in 2007 off the coast of Egmond aan Zee, the wind farm is in excellent condition and has received the permits needed from the Dutch government to operate until 2031, according to the company.
“After careful evaluation of whether the wind farm is technically and ecologically compliant, I am pleased that it has been possible to extend the service life by a number of years. As a result, this wind farm will continue to supply renewable electricity to the Dutch power grid for a longer period of time and thus contribute to the sustainability and energy independence of the Netherlands,” said Marc Hoenders , Director of Energy Transition Realisation at the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.
Google is sourcing 108 MW of green electricity from the wind farm to fully power its Netherlands-based operations, offices, and data centres with clean energy.
Shell NoordzeeWind was initially a joint venture of Shell and Nuon, later Vattenfall. In March 2021, Shell acquired all shares, becoming the sole owner of NordzeeWind.
The offshore wind farm features 36 turbines installed 10 kilometres to 18 kilometres off the coast. To support the extension of operations for a total of four years and eight months, the project underwent a technical check by the independent certification company DNV.
During the additional years, Shell said it will continue to consider the ecological impact of the wind farm, including shutting down turbines during bird migration.