CrossWind, a consortium led by Shell, has started producing green electricity from its Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park, marking the park’s first significant step towards clean energy production. Interestingly, Shell plans to utilise the electricity generated from this project to manufacture green hydrogen at a 200 MW facility currently under construction in Rotterdam.
On June 19 the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park produced its first megawatt-hours (MWh) of green energy, and delivered it via TenneT’s offshore grid to the Dutch mainland. In coming months production capacity will be constantly increased, so the wind park will eventually generate 3.3 TWh a year. When complete, the Hollandse Kust Noord wind park will have a total installed capacity of 759 MW. This will contribute directly to the promise of the Dutch government to achieve the target set out in its Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap for 4.5 GW of operational capacity by the end of this year.
Hollandse Kust Noord is being built 18.5 kilometers off the Dutch coast by CrossWind, a joint venture of Shell and Eneco. The wind park consists of 69 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW. Offshore construction began mid-October 2022 with the installation of the first monopile, and the wind turbine installation has started in April 2023. Full production of green electricity is expected by the end of 2023.
The Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park, constructed by CrossWind, a joint venture of Shell and Eneco, produced its first megawatt-hours (MWh) of green energy on June 19. The energy was delivered to the Dutch mainland via TenneT’s offshore grid, marking a significant achievement in the Netherlands’ green energy initiative.
Ramp-Up to Full Capacity
Over the coming months, the production capacity of the wind park will be consistently increased, with the goal to eventually generate 3.3 TWh annually. Once fully operational, the wind park will have a total installed capacity of 759 MW. This will significantly contribute to the Dutch government’s offshore wind energy roadmap target of achieving 4.5 GW of operational capacity by the end of this year.
The wind park, located 18.5 kilometers off the Dutch coast, comprises 69 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW. Construction began in mid-October 2022 with the installation of the first monopile, and wind turbine installation commenced in April 2023. Full green electricity production is expected by the end of 2023.
Pioneering Smart Offshore Wind Park
CrossWind, along with its partners, is developing and researching five innovative methods to tackle the inconsistency of wind for power generation. These innovative solutions aim to enable the offshore wind park to provide more constant electricity to the grid, irrespective of the wind conditions.
A Significant Milestone in Green Energy
Tjalling de Bruin, CEO and Project Director at CrossWind, expressed delight over the achievement. He said, “To have the wind turbines generating green electricity safely and successfully in such a short timeframe, is a great achievement for everyone involved.” The project has reached this significant milestone while staying within time, scope, and budget, attesting to the efficient collaboration between all parties involved.
As the commissioning process continues, CrossWind will steadily add more power generation capacity throughout this year and test numerous power quality control features to support the TenneT electricity grid. With this endeavor, the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park promises to be a game-changer in the realm of renewable energy, pushing the boundaries of wind power technology to provide a constant supply of clean energy.
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