RWE and TotalEnergies Join Forces to Develop Offshore Wind in the Netherlands

RWE and TotalEnergies have joined forces to deliver the OranjeWind offshore wind project in the Netherlands. The project features an installed capacity of 795 MW, and marks the first system integration project in the Dutch market. Each partner holds a 50% stake in the venture, with RWE leading the development, construction, and operation of the wind farm.

OranjeWind aims to perfectly match intermittent wind power generation with flexible energy demand, contributing to grid stability. The highly intermittent nature of wind power is often an obstacle to its development, but RWE and TotalEnergies plan to mitigate this with various flexible demand solutions, including electrolysers, battery storage, e-boilers, and smart charging solutions. The offshore wind farm will be located in the North Sea, approximately 53 kilometers from IJmuiden on the Dutch coast, with construction set to start in 2026 and full commissioning expected by early 2028. 

Image source: RWE.com

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “The Netherlands is one of our strategic core markets to grow our green portfolio. In TotalEnergies I am delighted to have a strong partner at our side with whom we can realise our first offshore wind project in the Netherlands and at the same time unlock the full system integration of OranjeWind.”

TotalEnergies will contribute its expertise in renewable energy and green hydrogen production. Stéphane Michel, President of Gas, Renewables & Power at TotalEnergies, highlighted the project's innovative approach: “We are looking forward to working with RWE, a major player in renewable, on a project that will enable us to develop production of green hydrogen, which we need to decarbonise our refineries in northern Europe. This integrated, innovative project perfectly illustrates our pioneering role in the energy transition in Europe.” TotalEnergies is no stranger to large wind energy projects and currently has 11 Gigawatts (GW) of projects under construction, of which its 3GW New York Bight project is its largest project.

The OranjeWind wind farm is expected to generate around 3 terawatt-hours annually, supplying green electricity to over one million Dutch households. The project also includes the integration of new offshore technologies and innovative solutions. For instance, RWE, in collaboration with SolarDuck, is developing an offshore floating solar farm. Other innovations include scanning LiDAR technology to measure wind at long ranges and a seabed battery system developed with Verlume.

According to RWE, Vestas will provide 53 of its 15-MW turbines, SiF will supply the monopiles, and TKF will deliver the inter-array cables. Belgian transportation firm Jan De Nul will transport and install the foundations and wind turbines, while Dutch transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT will handle the offshore grid connection.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

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