TenneT, Vattenfall to look into link between Dutch, UK offshore wind farm

Dutch transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT Holding BV said today it is partnering with Swedish utility Vattenfall AB to look into a potential connection between Dutch and UK offshore wind farms.

An interconnector between a substation in the Netherlands' designated offshore wind area IJmuiden Ver and one of Vattenfall's substations off the UK coast will allow more power to be traded between the UK and Dutch electricity markets.

TenneT and Vattenfall will explore the technical feasibility, regulatory challenges and the benefits of such a link, called WindConnector. The companies have signed a memorandum of understating (MoU) and expect to publish the results of their study later this year.

"The infrastructure needed to support offshore wind is a major capital investment," said Vattenfall’s senior vice-president Wind Gunnar Groebler. "Anything we can do to optimise our assets with a smart project like WindConnector is good for a competitive, low cost, fossil-free offshore wind industry and great news for consumers," Groebler added.

TenneT chief executive Mel Kroon and director offshore Wilfried Breuer said that meeting the Paris climate targets requires moving towards large-scale offshore wind development, which in turn requires smart solutions and international cooperation.

Separately it was announced that TenneT and German energy company Innogy SE (ETR:IGY) will partner on a study of wind interconnectors across a North Sea Wind Power Hub system.

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