Offshore wind farms
Wind energy has a great potential. The Dutch government aims to have 6.000 MW of offshore wind energy operational by 2020 in the Dutch part of the Continental Shelf of the North Sea.
Offshore wind farm Q7-WP
In 1998 E-Connection was the first to start the development of offshore wind farms on the Dutch Continental Shelf outside the territorial sea. Early 2002 after four years of preparations and project development all permits for the erection, installation, operation and maintenance of the 120 MW Princess Amalia wind farm (previously known as Q7-WP) were granted. In 2005 on shore construction commenced and early 2008 the wind farm was commissioned and in operation.
Princess Amalia wind farm (Windpark Q7-WP) produces more than 435 million kWh per year. That is equivalent of the yearly electricity consumption of 142.000 households.
From 2001 to today
From November 2001 until the end of 2004 a moratorium as applicable on applications for permits of offshore wind farms in the Netherlands part of the North Sea. On the last day of 2004 the new policy was published and the moratorium lifted. From 2005 onwards nine developers submitted a large number of Starting Notices for offshore wind farms in the Netherlands Exclusive Economic Zone. A starting notice is the first step in the procedure to apply for a permit. The large number of initiatives caused the government to suspend all application procedures twice and for a period of several months in order to reconsider the best way forward.
On June 30th, 2008, the Ministers involved outlined in a letter to Parliament the script for the development and realisation of offshore wind energy. In 2012 the government aims to have committed (permits and subsidies) for wind farms totalling 950 MW in addition to the two existing offshore wind farms.
New offshore wind farms by E-Connection
On November 2nd, 2009, the permit for offshore wind farm Brown Ridge Oost was granted to E-Connection. This wind farm is located approx. 75 km from IJmuiden. It comprises 94 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 282 MW. The average yearly production is sufficient to supply more than 325.000 households.
On December 18th, 2009, the permit for offshore wind farm Q4-WP was granted too. The first application for this project was submitted in 1999. However in 1999 the government preferred to grant one permit at a time. Thus E-Connection withdrew the application for the Q4-WP project and four other projects in favour of the permit of the Q7-WP wind farm, which was granted in 2002.
Only 26 of the 40 wind turbines of wind farm Q4-WP have been permitted. Therefore wind farm Q4-WP has an installed capacity of 78 MW. The average yearly production can power more than 91.000 households.
