SSE and APG have announced that their 50-50 joint venture (JV), dubbed Noordzeker, is progressing the development of the proposed 2GW IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind project in the Netherlands.
The new offshore wind facility’s tender site is located in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone.
The IJmuiden Ver Alpha project is planned to be built approximately 62km off the Dutch coast off the Ijmuiden port town. It is expected to generate sufficient clean energy every year to address about 7% of the current electricity demand in the Netherlands.
Last month, the Noordzeker consortium secured the rights to a pre-developed and fully consented offshore wind site in the Dutch North Sea from the federal government.
The consortium is set to enter into a 40-year lease period for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind site for an annual payment of nearly €1m.
SSE and APG will reimburse the €20m cost for the environmental impact assessment and the offshore site characterisation studies which were undertaken by Dutch authorities ahead of the tender.
APG is acting on behalf of Dutch pension fund ABP.
The Noordzeker consortium will leverage the data from the site studies to further advance the final design of the IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind project.
Besides having full consent, the awarded site also features a confirmed grid connection to the Netherlands’ national grid. The connection will be independently developed and constructed by the Dutch grid operator TenneT.
SSE Renewables managing director Stephen Wheeler said: “We are pleased to be progressing development of the 2GW Alpha site in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone in the Netherlands with our consortium partners APG and ABP.
“Our successful bid is testament to the work the consortium and its partners have undertaken to put forward a compelling set of proposals to sensitively develop our proposed offshore wind project in a manner which will positively contribute to the marine environment while delivering a cleaner and more secure energy system for the Netherlands.”
The Noordzeker consortium aims to achieve a final investment decision (FID) for the Dutch offshore wind facility by late 2025. Following the FID, the wind farm is slated to be commissioned by the end of 2030.
SSE Renewables will construct the IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind project on behalf of the Noordzeker consortium.
APG global infrastructure investment strategy head Jan-Willem Ruisbroek said: “This is a big step for the Dutch energy transition and biodiversity in the North Sea.
“By investing directly in energy generation from renewable sources, we contribute to the pensions of millions of people in the Netherlands, and to a sustainable world also for our children and grandchildren.”
