RWE and Tennet agree OranjeWind offshore wind farm connection

Network operator Tennet and energy company RWE have signed agreements for an offshore grid connection for the OranjeWind offshore wind farm to be built 53 kilometres off the coast in the Dutch North Sea.

by Gail Rajgor 21 September 2023

The agreements will ensure that RWE’s OranjeWind is connected to the grid and electricity transmitted on Tennet's platform (pic credit: André Muller/Getty Images)

RWE won the tender for the wind farm, formerly known as the 760MW Hollandse Kust West VII, securing building and operating rights in November 2022. System integration innovation was a specific qualitative criteria introduced by the Dutch government to rank the bids for the project.

The connection and transmission agreement (CTA) and realisation agreement (REA) cover the grid connection and transmission of the electricity produced by RWE’s wind farm on Tennet's platform. 

The agreements also specify how the electricity will be delivered from the wind farm to ensure stability in the grid. The connection will link to the high-voltage substation in Wijk aan Zee and is due to be operational by 2026.

The wind farm will use smart innovations – including floating solar panels, a subsea lithium-ion battery and a Lidar system to predict power production more accurately – to achieve a “perfect balance of supply and demand”, according to RWE. 

RWE will also invest in onshore system integration, such as electrolysis capacity and e-boilers, to match power generation and offtake.