The initial physical preparatory works have started for the Hollandse Kust Zuid 1&2 offshore wind farm. Various studies are being carried out at the North Sea wind farm site in the spring of 2019.
The licence for the first unsubsidised wind farm was granted in September 2018. Vattenfall had already started setting up a project team even earlier and has performed the first studies necessary to properly estimate the activities involved in building such a large wind farm. The actual offshore works commence this spring, with experts examining the composition of the seabed and water depths.
Vattenfall has signed various contracts with the suppliers that will be involved in the project. Bibby Hydromap and Fugro will be carrying out various offshore studies in the coming months. East Point Geo and Cathie Associates will act in supporting roles as Vattenfall Client Representatives on site.
The authorities had previously conducted a geophysical study in the region. They mapped the positions of existing cables, pipelines, any shipwrecks and other obstacles. The data from this study will now be enhanced with data from new studies to optimise further the wind farm’s development, based on examination of the seabed and subsoil geology on site. This will give Vattenfall an idea of how best to place the foundations for the wind turbines.
The wind and sea conditions will also be studied. For construction of a wind farm, it is important to put the wind turbines in the right places with the right spacing. To ensure optimal use of wind energy, it is equally important that the wind turbines are located where the weather conditions are the best.
“Ships will be departing for the wind farm area in the coming months. The ship crews will remain at sea for several days and work in shifts. We are really starting to work on site now. That marks a new phase in the project”, explains Ian Bremner, Project Director ofHollandse Kust Zuid. “We have commissioned a study of the seabed conditions so that in the near future we will know exactly what the seabed is like and where we can place the foundations for the wind turbines. The companies we have under contract have a lot of experience in this and we are happy to have them on board.”
About Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a leading European energy company, that for more than 100 years has electrified industries, supplied energy to people’s homes and modernised our way of living through innovation and cooperation. We now want to make fossil-free living possible within one generation. Therefore we are driving the transition to a more sustainable energy system through growth in renewable production and climate smart energy solutions for our customers. We employ approximately 20,000 people and have operations mainly in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK, Finland and France. Vattenfall is owned by the Swedish state.
