Offshore staff
SCHEVENINGEN, the Netherlands — Vattenfall, BASF and Allianz have inaugurated the Hollandse Kust Zuid 1-4 wind farm in the Dutch North Sea, 18-36 km from the coast between the towns of Scheveningen and Zandvoort.
The development comprises 139 x 11-MW turbines across a 225-sq-km area with a total capacity of 1.5 GW and 315 km of 66-kV inter-array grid cables, and it should be fully operational in 2024. It will be serviced from the port of Ijmuiden.
Two offshore substations connect Hollandse Kust Zuid to the Dutch grid. Dutch transmission system operator TenneT developed the grid connections.
Among the innovations during the construction were the use of a double bubble screen to dampen underwater noise during pile driving to limit the impact on harbor porpoises.
Enlarged water replenishment holes in the foundations are said to provide shelter for marine life inside the turbines.
Boulders and rocks of varying sizes were used for the scour protection. At various locations, artificial rock reefs were added to attract fish, crabs and crustaceans.
Three turbines are equipped with recyclable blades; the resin used to glue them together should prove easier to dissolve after the turbines have completed their working life for reuse of the blades in another application.
09.29.2023
