TenneT has completed its series of seven standardised 700 MW grid connections for offshore wind farms. Starting in 2019, one connection was finalised each year. With Hollandse Kust (west Beta) now certified as grid-ready by DNV, the final 700 MW project has been completed.
The Dutch government designated TenneT as the operator of the offshore grid in 2016 under the Electricity Act, tasking the company with connecting offshore wind farms to the national high-voltage grid. For this purpose, TenneT built offshore offshore sockets, which link to the onshore grid through subsea electricity cables. The final three 700 MW connections were constructed for the Hollandse Kust (North), Hollandse Kust (West Alpha) and Hollandse Kust (West Beta) wind zones off the coast of North Holland. The completion of these connections brings the total installed offshore capacity in the Dutch part of the North Sea to 6.1 GW by 2028.
The national government aims to increase this to 21 GW by 2032. To support this, TenneT has developed the 2 GW Programme as a new standard, based on direct current (DC) technology. This approach allows the transport of larger volumes of renewable energy using fewer cables and platforms. Between now and 2032, thirteen of these new 2 GW connections will be built in the Dutch and German North Sea.
Image: TenneT
