Borssele 1 and 2

Borssele 1 and 2 Wind Farm Profile

Location

The Borssele 1 and 2 wind farms are located approximately 22 kilometers off the coast of the Zeeland province in the Netherlands, in the North Sea.

Capacity and Turbines

The Borssele 1 and 2 wind farms have a combined capacity of 752 MW, achieved through the installation of 94 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW wind turbines. These turbines are based on Siemens’ offshore direct drive platform, each with a rotor diameter of 167 meters and a tip height of 200 meters.

Water Depth and Wind Conditions

The wind farms are situated in water depths ranging from 14 to 39.7 meters. The annual average wind speed in the region is estimated to be around 9.5 meters per second.

Construction and Operation

Construction of the Borssele 1 and 2 wind farms began in January 2020 with the installation of the first foundation. The first turbine was installed in April 2020, and the entire turbine installation phase was completed in less than five months. The wind farm started generating electricity in April 2020 and was fully operational by the end of 2020. The official opening took place on 6 September 2021.

Grid Connection

The power generated by the wind farms is collected by TenneT’s Alpha offshore transformer station, which transforms the 66kV power to 220kV. This transformed power is then transported to an onshore substation via two 220kV export cables, each 60 kilometers long. The cables are buried at a depth of 1 meter in the North Sea and 3 meters through the Western Scheldt estuary.

Ownership and Contractors

The Borssele 1 and 2 wind farms were developed by Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy), which won the concession in a public tender conducted by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs in 2016. The tender was part of the SDE+ (Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production) subsidy program, with Ørsted bidding the lowest price of €72.7/MWh, excluding transmission costs.

Key contractors involved include:

• Siemens Gamesa for the supply of the wind turbines.
• TenneT for the construction and installation of the offshore platforms and export cables.
• DEME Offshore for the installation of the turbines using their vessels Sea Installer and Sea Challenger.

Environmental Impact and Benefits

The Borssele 1 and 2 wind farms are expected to generate renewable electricity equivalent to the annual power consumption of one million Dutch households, significantly contributing to the Netherlands' goal of meeting 16% of its electricity needs through renewable sources by 2023.

Financial Incentives

Ørsted received a subsidy under the SDE+ program, which provides financial compensation for a period of 15 years. The compensation was capped at €124/MWh, but Ørsted secured the project with a bid of €72.7/MWh, excluding transmission costs.

Maintenance and Operations

Zeeland Seaports will operate an operation and maintenance base in Vlissingen Buitenhaven for the wind farms. Siemens Gamesa and Vestas are contracted to provide operations and maintenance services for the project.

This project is a significant milestone in the Netherlands' transition to renewable energy and aligns with Ørsted's vision of a world entirely powered by green energy.