Northwester 2 Produces First Power

The first MHI Vestas 9.5MW turbine at the Northwester 2 offshore wind project has delivered its first power.

According to Parkwind, the turbine began supplying electricity to the Belgian grid over the weekend.

Northwester 2 will comprise 23 MHI Vestas 164-9.5 MW turbines, the most powerful turbines to enter commercial operation to date, which will supply green energy via Elia’s Modular Offshore Grid (MOG)

To remind, Jan De Nul’s jack-up vessel Vole au vent installed the first turbine at the project site some 50km north-west of Oostende in mid-December.

The 219MW offshore wind project is expected to be fully operational before the summer.

“This first important milestone as realized by Northester 2, marks also the first renewable energy production transported through Elia’s Modular Offshore Grid after its go-live end of last year,” said Chris Peeters, CEO at Elia.

“This major step was only possible through intense collaboration between both companies. We are especially proud by doing so to integrate more renewable wind energy to the system and to fully contribute to climate objectives.”