SSE Renewables is entering bids into the upcoming tenders for the 1.4 GW Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zone in the Netherlands. The tenders are set to take place in the first half of 2022.
On December 23, 2021, the Dutch Government issued revised draft Ministerial Orders, which included tender assessment criteria for the permits to develop the two individual 700 MW sites within the zone. The detail of the application process is due to be published shortly and the window for tender submissions is scheduled between April 14 and May 12, 2022, with winners announced in the summer.
The two tenders have a clear focus on innovation, with half of the points-based system for successful bidders being allocated to this category.
If successful, the Hollandse Kust (west) Projects would form part of SSE Plc’s recently published Net Zero Acceleration Programme, which included fully funded £12.5 bn strategic capital investment plans to 2026 alongside ambitious 2031 targets, aligned with 1.5-degree, science-based targets.
The plans for renewables include an increase of 4 GW of renewables installed capacity (net) over the 5 years to 2026, doubling installed renewables capacity to 8 GW (net). This provides a platform for ambitious new 2031 targets including a fivefold increase in renewables output to 50 TWh, maintaining a sustained renewables pipeline in excess of 15 GW, and a trebling of SSE’s owned renewables capacity to over 13 GW (net) from c.4 GW today. If SSE Renewables is successful in the tenders, the Hollandse Kust (west) Projects are expected to be commissioned in 2025-2026.
“The Netherlands is one of the leading offshore wind markets in Europe,” says Dennis Breugelmans, project director of international markets at SSE Renewables. “We welcome the Dutch government’s ambitious new energy and climate program and we want to bring our wealth of experience and track record in delivering cutting edge offshore wind projects. This will not only help the country meet its ambitious targets, but together with the local expertise of Dutch companies, we will bring forward innovations to help drive the whole Dutch offshore wind sector forward. The Hollandse Kust West tender will be a great opportunity for us to show what we can do, and we look forward to announcing more about our plans in the coming months.”
The Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zone is located approximately 53 kilometers off the west coast of the Netherlands in the North Sea. The total surface area of the Wind Farm Sites within the zone (including maintenance and safety zones) is approximately 187 km2. Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zone will accommodate a minimum of 1.4 GW of fixed bottom offshore wind power capacity. Transmission system operator TenneT will construct two offshore platforms with two grid connections within the zone.
The Dutch government has draft published assessment criteria with half of the scoring based on a one-off financial payment; knowledge and experience; financial standing; and energy yield. The other half of the scoring is based on innovation. One tender will focus on rewarding ecological innovation (Site VI) and the other will focus on systems integration innovation (Site VII).
Separately, the Dutch government recently announced plans to increase its offshore wind targets by 11 GW to a total of 21 GW by 2030.
