TenneT looking for partners to develop island for far offshore grid connection
Now that the Dutch government’s Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap 2030 has been published, TenneT is looking forward to collaborate closely with public- and private-sector parties to initiate the follow-up research required to flesh out the broad outlines for an offshore grid, followed by construction projects.
The wind farms to be prepared in the coming years will be located in three wind farm zones ‘Holland Coast (West)’, ‘North of the Wadden Sea Islands’, and ‘IJmuiden Far Offshore’ TenneT will connect the offshore wind farms via an offshore grid. In the past year, TenneT has made preparations to develop innovative and cost-effective grid concepts for these offshore grid connections.
Island near ‘IJmuiden Far Offshore’ zone
According to TenneT, the best way to connect wind farm zones located relatively close to the Dutch coast to the grid is to use standardized Alternating Current (AC) technology. In TenneT’s view, Direct Current (DC) connections will need to be used to be able to connect offshore wind energy on a large scale and across greater distances in a cost-effective way, as is the case with ‘IJmuiden Far Offshore’. Continued innovation should enable the development of DC connection capacities of between 1,200 and 2,000 MW. These higher capacities will then make it possible to integrate IJmuiden Far Offshore with fewer connections (e.g. cables) and with less spatial impact.
TenneT is working with relevant government departments to research the possibility of constructing an island in the ‘IJmuiden Far Offshore’ zone to accommodate a converter and transformer station, to which wind farms can then be connected. This may be more cost-effective than installing multiple large offshore DC platforms. In addition to potential economic benefits, an island would offer opportunities for converting wind power into hydrogen, facilitating a so-called ‘Wind Connector’, and creating port and maintenance facilities. A Wind Connector to the United Kingdom will make it possible to use the infrastructure for both connecting wind farms and further integration of the international electricity market.
image source: TenneT
