Noordzeker, a consortium comprising SSE Renewables, Dutch pension fund ABP and its asset manager AGP, and a joint venture between Vattenfall and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Zeevonk II, have been awarded development permits for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Beta offshore wind sites in the Netherlands. Under the tender requirements, the developers will pay special attention to circularity and environmentally friendly solutions in building and operating their projects.
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) announced the tender results this evening (11 June), emphasising that with a total capacity of at least 4 GW across the two sites, this is the largest offshore wind tender round in the Netherlands to date.
The Noordzeker consortium secured the permit for the 2 GW site IJmuiden Ver Alpha and the Zeevonk II joint venture for the 2 GW site IJmuiden Ver Beta.
The application period for the two IJmuiden Ver sites was opened on 29 February and closed on 28 March, when RVO revealed several applications were submitted “despite the current challenging conditions in offshore wind”.
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The IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Beta offshore wind farms, which will be built without subsidies, are expected to be commissioned in 2029.
Under the requirements for this tender – besides a financial bid and assurance that a project will be realised and contribute to the Dutch energy supply – the Dutch government considered the extent to which a developer adheres to the principles of the International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) Agreement for the Renewable Energy Sector.
RVO also took into account the extent to which the proposals include circularity, environmental impact and value retention in the design, construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the projects.
An additional criterion for IJmuiden Ver Alpha was the contribution of the wind farm to the ecosystem of the Dutch North Sea, while for IJmuiden Ver Beta, the government put emphasis on the improved integration of the wind farm into the energy system. For IJmuiden Ver Beta, there is also a requirement for measures that contribute to reducing harbour porpoise disturbance days in the construction phase of the offshore wind farm.
“Noordzeker and Zeevonk II have great plans for these new offshore wind farms. It shows that wind farms and nature can go well together and that offshore wind with smart solutions can help reduce pressure on the onshore power grid. Market conditions have become more complicated, so I am extra happy that these parties want to build offshore wind farms,” Dutch Minister of Climate and Energy, Rob Jetten, said as the Ministry and RVO announced the results.
Located 62 kilometres off the west coast of the Netherlands, the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone contains three 2 GW sites: Alpha, Beta and Gamma.
The third site, IJmuiden Ver Gamma, will be put out to tender in 2025.