TenneT completes 700-MW North Sea grid connection

Transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT Holding BV has completed the installation of the 700-MW Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha grid that connects wind turbines in the North Sea to the Dutch mainland.

The high-voltage connection was certified by registar and classification society DNV and is ready for use, TenneT said last week. The offshore wind farms Hollandse Kust (zuid) I and II can now be connected to the grid.

TenneT is working also on the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Beta connection and has just installed the topside of the transformer platform on the jacket. The grid connection should be brought into operation later this year, adding another 700 MW from wind farms Hollandse Kust (zuid) III and IV.

The offshore transformer station collects the green power produced by the wind turbines in the North Sea which is then transported to land via cables in the seabed to an electrical substation at the Maasvlakte at the port of Rotterdam.

The subsidy-free Hollandse Kust (zuid) wind farm is being built by Swedish power company Vattenfall. It is expected to be fully operational in 2023 and generate clean electricity equal to the annual consumption of more than two million households.

TenneT plans to reach 3,500 MW of grid connection capacity for offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea by the end of next year. The operator built the first 1,400 MW in 2019 and 2020 with the Borssele Alpha and Beta projects. The launch of the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Alpha and Beta this year will be followed by Hollandse Kust (noord) in 2023.

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