Netherlands starts working on site characterisation for new offshore wind areas

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has announced upcoming calls for tenders through which the Dutch Government will procure geophysical surveys and archeological assessment of new areas that have been designated to accommodate the country’s increased offshore wind target.

Around 24 June, RVO plans to open a tender for several wind farm zones in the Dutch North Sea.

The works consist of an archaeological desk study, an archaeological assessment of geophysical data, and geotechnical data.

The starting date of the contract is scheduled for the third quarter of this year with the end date in the fourth quarter of 2026. A first draft delivery of the desk study for the Nederwiek wind farm zone is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024, while desk studies for about six other areas will follow later.

The archaeological assessment of geophysical and geotechnical data for about three areas will follow the surveys commissioned by RVO.

For Nederwiek Wind Farm Sites Zuid & Noord (North and South), and one other possible investigation area, RVO plans to open a tender for geophysical surveys around the end of July 2022.

The offshore campaigns for the investigation areas are planned to start in the beginning of 2023.

The deliverables of the geophysical investigations will be published for use by the participants in the concession tenders for these offshore wind farm sites.

The tender for geophysical surveys will most likely consists of two lots, one lot for each of the two Nederwiek sites, with the exact scope to be determined in due course.

The Dutch Government designated three new offshore wind areas and confirmed two previously designated areas in the North Sea in March. The three new wind energy areas are Nederwiek, Lagelander, and Doordewind, and the two reconfirmed areas are the northern part of IJmuiden Ver and the southern part of Hollandse Kust West.

With a combined capacity of 10.7 GW, the new areas will double the country’s total planned capacity for offshore wind energy to around 21 GW by 2030.

A few days ago, the Government disclosed the tendering timelines and locations for nine offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of up to 13.4 GW, which includes a previously identified area, on top of the new ones.

The new projects include the IJmuiden Ver Noord V and VI, each with a capacity of 1 GW, the 2 GW Nederwiek Zuid I, the 2 GW Nederwiek Noord II, the 2 GW Nederwiek Noord III, the 700 MW Hollandse Kust West VIII, the 2 GW Doordewind I, and the 2 GW Doordewind II.

The previously identified Ten noorden van de Waddeneilanden zone has a capacity of 700 MW.

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