SSE, Vattenfall Win in Netherlands Largest Offshore Wind Tender

(Bloomberg) -- The largest-ever tender for offshore wind in the Netherlands has concluded with major players set to develop the sites even as the global industry faces challenges. 

A consortium of ABP, APG, and SSE Renewables, secured one site capable of producing at least 2 gigawatts of clean power. A joint venture between Vattenfall and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, won a tender for a similar-sized project and are also planning a hydrogen plant to balance the energy coming from the site. 

“Market conditions have become more complicated, so I am extra happy that these parties want to build offshore wind farms,” Rob Jetten, the nation’s climate and energy minister, said in a statement.

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Increasing costs of raw materials and complications when building offshore wind has caused issues for some developers, with many project pipelines being cut back. Still, the continued need for increasing supplies of renewable power has underpinned the outlook for the industry. 

Located 62 kilometers (39 miles) off the coast, the wind farms covered in the tender will provide power equal to about 14% of the country’s current electricity consumption, contributing to the Netherlands’ goals for energy independence and sustainability. 

The projects at the two IJmuiden Ver sites are set to be commissioned in 2029.

Noordzeker, the consortium that includes SSE Renewables, will focus on ecological enhancements at the site they are set to develop. Plans include turbine designs that protect birds and reduce marine mammal disturbances. The consortium will pay more than €1 million ($1.07 million) annually for 40 years and cover €20 million in environmental assessments and site studies.

The joint venture behind the other site will also build a 1 gigawatt hydrogen plant at the port of Rotterdam to connect to the turbines, reducing pressure on the grid. 

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency will open tenders for the IJmuiden Ver Site Gamma and Nederwiek Site I which together have a capacity of 4 gigawatts by the end of the third quarter of 2025. These projects represent a significant step toward optimizing 21 gigawatts of wind energy capacity in the Dutch North Sea, supporting sustainable maritime development.

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