Offshore Windpark Egmond aan Zee (OWEZ) is an
offshore wind
Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the Electricity generation, generation of electricity through wind farms in bodies of water, usually at sea. There are higher wind speeds offshore than on land, so offshore farms generate more elect ...
farm in the Dutch part of the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
, located approximately 10 km from the coast near
Egmond aan Zee. It was the first large-scale offshore wind farm to be built off the Dutch North Sea coast. The wind farm was built by NoordzeeWind, a joint venture consisting of
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
and
Nuon.
In March 2021, it was announced that Shell would take full ownership of the wind farm. It already owned 50% of the shares, and had acquired the other half from
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
. The purchase price was not disclosed.
History
In 2001, the Dutch government launched a tender for the offshore wind farm. NoordzeeWind was selected as the winner in the spring of 2001. In July of the same year, the concession agreement was signed with the government for the realisation of the wind farm.
The final contracts were signed in 2005 and construction of the farm began in 2006. It was built by a consortium of
Ballast Nedam
Ballast Nedam is a Dutch-based construction and engineering company headquartered in Nieuwegein. The company resulted from the 1969 merger between Amsterdamse Ballast Maatschappij, founded in 1877, and Nederlandse Aannemingsmaatschappij, founded ...
and wind turbine manufacturer
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines that was founded in 1945. The company operates manufacturing plants in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, India, Italy, Romania, the Un ...
.
[Shell Begins Construction at Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm](_blank)
Oil Voice, 20 April 2006
The wind farm was officially inaugurated by
Prince Willem-Alexander on 18 April 2007.
Location and size
The wind farm is located to off the coasts of
Egmond aan Zee and is visible from the shore. The total area of the farms is around 27 square kilometres (10 sq mi). The farm consists of 36 Vestas V90-3MW wind turbines, each with a nameplate capacity of 3 MW. In total, the farm has a capacity of 108 MW. Together, they are designed to provide energy for up to 100,000 Dutch households. The facility is being refurbished in 2021.
Gallery
File:Wind turbine (xndr).jpg, Wind turbine components in an assembly area onshore before installation at sea
File:HLV_Svanen_at_OWEZ.jpg, HLV Svanen at the Offshore Windfarm Egmond aan Zee
File:OWEZ 1989119753 205d59b181 o.jpg, Another view from shore
File:Egmond-aan-Zee-Windfarm.jpg, View from above
See also
*
List of Offshore Wind Farms
This article lists the largest offshore wind farms that are currently operational rated by nameplate capacity. It also lists the largest offshore wind farms currently under construction, the largest proposed offshore wind farms, and offshore ...
*
List of offshore wind farms in the North Sea
*
List of offshore wind farms in the Netherlands
*
Princess Amalia Wind Farm
*
Wind power in the Netherlands
*
Renewable energy in the Netherlands
References
External links
Windpark Egmond aan Zee / NoordZeeWind Official website*, showing the construction
LORC Knowledge - Datasheet for Egmond Aan Zee
Offshore wind farms in the North Sea
Wind farms in the Netherlands
Energy infrastructure completed in 2007
2007 establishments in the Netherlands
21st-century architecture in the Netherlands
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