Hollandse Kust Zuid Holland I and II

Location

The wind farm is situated in the Dutch part of the North Sea, approximately 18-36 kilometers off the coast of the Netherlands, between the towns of Scheveningen and Zandvoort.

Ownership and Development

The project is jointly owned by Vattenfall (50.5%), BASF (24.3%), and Allianz Capital Partners (25.2%). The development is led by Chinook CV, a subsidiary of Vattenfall.

Capacity and Turbines

The entire Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm, including all four segments, has a total installed capacity of 1.5 GW. Specifically, Hollandse Kust Zuid I and II together have a capacity of 770 MW. The wind farm features 139 Siemens Gamesa 11.0-200 DD wind turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW. However, due to an incident during construction, one turbine foundation was damaged and will be removed, resulting in a total of 138 operational turbines.

Construction and Operational Timeline

• The tender for Hollandse Kust Zuid I and II was awarded to Chinook CV in March 2018.
• Initial preparatory works began in March 2019, and construction commenced in July 2021.
• The last wind turbine was installed on June 13, 2023.
• The wind farm was officially inaugurated by Dutch King Willem-Alexander on September 29, 2023, and is expected to be fully operational by 2024.

Technical Details

• Turbine Specifications: Each turbine has a tip height of 225 meters above sea level, a rotor diameter of 200 meters, and each blade is 97 meters long.
• Foundations: The monopile foundations weigh between 735 and 955 tons, are 62-75 meters long, and have a diameter of 7-8 meters. They are installed at water depths ranging from 17 to 28 meters.
• Grid Connection: The wind farm is connected to the Dutch grid via two offshore substations (HKZ Alpha and HKZ Beta), which are operated by the Dutch Transmission System Operator TenneT. The electricity is transferred through 66kV infield cables, stepped up to 220kV at the platforms, and then transported to the onshore 380kV Maasvlakte high-voltage substation.

Environmental and Biodiversity Measures

• Noise Reduction: A double bubble screen was used to dampen underwater noise during pile driving to protect harbor porpoises.
• Marine Life Protection: Enlarged water replenishment holes in the foundations provide shelter for marine life, and artificial rock reefs were added to scour protection sites to attract fish, crabs, and crustaceans.
• Recyclable Blades: Three turbines are fitted with recently developed recyclable blades, making it easier to dismantle and reuse the components after their working life.

Power Supply and Impact

• The electricity generated by the wind farm is sufficient to power approximately 1.5 million households in the Netherlands.
• A portion of the power will be used by BASF to reduce its carbon footprint and support its chemical production sites in Europe.

Funding

• BASF invested €1.6 billion in the project, including a €300 million stake purchase from Vattenfall in June 2021.

Additional Features

• The wind farm is part of the Dutch government’s ambitious goals to combat climate change and provide renewable energy for the next generation. It was the first subsidy-free wind farm in the world when awarded in 2018.
• Maintenance and operational activities are controlled from the port of IJmuiden.

This project exemplifies significant collaboration between industry leaders and innovative approaches to renewable energy, biodiversity, and sustainability.