The Hollandse Kust Noord wind park, located 18.5 kilometers off the coast of Egmond aan Zee, became operational on December 20. The wind farm was built by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. It will add 759 MW of renewable energy to the Dutch electricity grid after final commissioning. The completion of Hollandse Kust Noord will achieve a target in the Netherlands of more than 4.5 GW of offshore wind by the end of 2023.

With Hollandse Kust Noord, CrossWind has built a subsidy-free wind park that is expected to produce at least 3.3 TWh of electricity. This corresponds to 2.8 percent of electricity demand in the Netherlands. Hollandse Kust Noord, together with other offshore wind farms including Borssele and Hollandse Kust Zuid, currently supply 15.8 percent of the Netherlands' electricity needs, a goal that was agreed more than 10 years ago in the Dutch Energy Agreement in its “Roadmap 2023”.

Respect for people, nature and environment

The Netherlands has a unique approach when it comes to offshore wind with a focus on people, nature and the environment. Innovation and ecological aspects are increasingly being taken into account in offshore wind farm tenders and in their implementation, such as protective measures for birds and specific techniques to limit the impact on marine life.

Wind farm efficiency growth

Good coordination has significantly accelerated the development of wind farms over the past 10 years, enabling standardized connection systems. This has led to improved efficiency in connections on both the high-voltage grid and the offshore power platforms. In addition, the Dutch government has implemented a successful “one-stop-shop” approach, reducing risks and costs prior to tenders.

Cooperation

Achieving the Dutch offshore wind targets was only possible thanks to good cooperation between wind farm developers, government, suppliers, NGOs and the countless other parties involved. Despite challenges, such as in the supply chain, there are many opportunities to roll out this successful approach again. The Netherlands has proven that it is possible, with two more wind farms currently under development.

Tjalling de Bruin, director of CrossWind: 
"Our philosophy is: 'We deliver, we innovate, we share,' and that's what we did. I am proud of the team and all the partners with whom we have safely developed this wind park in record time. We look forward to realizing the innovations within the park that will help future wind parks always deliver electricity, even when the wind is not blowing. And we look forward to sharing this knowledge to accelerate the energy transition."

Rob Jetten, outgoing Minister for Climate and Energy: 
"The completion of the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm marks a highlight in the Dutch and European wind industry. With 10 years of offshore wind, we have made great strides in the Netherlands with nature-focused and technical innovations, costs have gone down, and we have started to work more and more efficiently. We can be proud of that."

Marco Kuijpers, Director of Large Projects Offshore at Transmission System Operator TenneT: 
"This huge infrastructure project was delivered safely, on schedule and within budget. The plan for the Roadmap 2023 has therefore been implemented from A to Z as conceived, with each party being able to accelerate and reduce costs for offshore wind from its own expertise. We are already taking this experience fully into account in the connection of the new wind farms that are part of the next Roadmap for 2030."

Jan Vos, chairman of the Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA): 
"The completion of Hollandse Kust Noord is a significant milestone for the Netherlands. This success not only underlines the effectiveness of our approach, but also shows that collaboration and innovation are crucial to achieving ambitious goals. It provides a solid foundation to build on in the coming years and further strengthen our commitment to sustainable energy."

KeyFacts Energy: Wind Energy