Siemens Gamesa & Van Oord Chosen To Build 380 Megawatt Fryslân Nearshore Wind Farm
A two-company consortium of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Van Oord has been selected as the preferred contractor for the 380 megawatt (MW) Fryslân nearshore wind farm in the Netherlands.
Originally proposed in 2008 and finally awarded consent to proceed earlier this year, the Fryslân nearshore wind farm in the Netherlands has taken its next step towards construction and completion, announcing a consortium made up of Spanish wind energy giant Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Dutch contracting company Van Oord as its preferred construction contractor.
The Fryslân nearshore wind farm will be made up of 89 4.3 MW wind turbines built in the Frisian section of the IJsselmeer Lake, next to the Afsluitdijk dam, and as can be seen below will be visible from shore. With a total output of 380 MW, the project will provide clean energy equivalent to the needs of over 340,000 households — that’s more than was originally planned for the project (316 MW), thanks to the choice of 4.3 MW wind turbines.
“Because we can place turbines with a greater capacity at this location, we can realize even more sustainable energy than originally thought,” said Project director Anne de Groot. “This higher capacity has become possible due to the rapid development of the technology.”
Further, the project will account for 60% of the Province of Friesland’s 2020 renewable energy target, opening the door for the Province to expand its target and increase its renewable energy generating capacity.
Van Oord will provide Balance of Plant construction work, which includes designing, fabricating, and installing the foundations and cables for the project, and will also supply the equipment for installing the wind turbines. Siemens Gamesa, on the other hand, will design, fabricate, and commission 89 of its SWT-DD-130 wind turbines, each of which will be rated at 4.3 MW and boast a 130-metre rotor diameter. Siemens Gamesa will also build the onshore substation.
“We’re proud to once again bring our Siemens Gamesa direct drive wind turbine technology to the IJsselmeer Lake with the Fryslân project. Partnering with Van Oord allows us as solid, experienced partners to bring a shared commitment to reducing the Levelized Cost of Energy from offshore wind and providing clean energy to our customer Windpark Fryslân B.V.” explained Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Offshore Business Unit at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
“Building the Fryslan nearshore wind farm is an important step forward in meeting the climate objectives, both national as for the Province of Friesland,” said Arnoud Kuis, Managing Director Offshore Wind at Van Oord. “Contributing to the energy transition is contributing to a better world for future generations. It is great to part of this.”
The final construction contracts will be signed later this year and, with investment worth a total of €500 million, construction is expected to begin in 2019 and completion and full operation to be by mid-2021.
In addition to the Fryslân nearshore wind farm itself, the consortium of Siemens Gamesa and Van Oord will also construct a nature conservation island next to the Afsluitdijk dam by using soil material from the IJsselmeer Lake.
After the completion of the wind farm, the island will be transformed into a nature conservation area made up of 2 hectares of new land and 25 hectares of sheltered shallow water, allowing for the development of new natural areas on the banks of the island, both underwater and above.
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