Shell, Eneco prep join bids for both offshore wind sites in HKW zone

Oil and gas major Shell Plc (AMS:SHELL) and Dutch utility Eneco announced today they are making joint bids for each site of the 1.4-GW Hollandse Kust West (HKW) offshore wind farm zone in Dutch waters.

Two joint ventures, namely Ecowende and SchakelWind, will bid for sites VI and VII of the HKW zone, respectively. The wind farms will be built 53 km off the Dutch coast, west of IJmuiden, and will be commissioned in 2026. Their combined output is estimated to be enough to cover about 6% of the country’s electricity demand.

The goal of the Ecowende JV is to initiate a movement to build offshore wind farms with a net positive impact on nature. Its projects will support a flourishing ecosystem and will have minimum impact on birds and bats, without disturbing the underwater world, Eneco said in a statement. Ecowende has developed an extensive programme that will be implemented in partnership with experts, knowledge institutions and commercial partners from the Netherlands and abroad.

On the other hand, SchakelWind will aim to achieve a net positive impact on the Dutch energy system. It will invest not only in site VII but also in a variety of projects across the country together with businesses.

“Through our bids for Hollandse Kust (west) we are investing significantly in the production of green energy and hydrogen,” noted Marjan van Loon, President Director Shell Netherlands.

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