Dutch utility Eneco said Thursday it will partner with Norwegian energy group Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) to bid in the tenders for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Beta offshore wind sites in the Netherlands, together representing 4 GW of capacity.
The Dutch government plans to start tender procedures for the two sites this year. Under the current schedule, this will happen by the fourth quarter of 2023, with applications for a permit to develop and operate the sites to be due by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
The IJmuiden Ver wind farm zone includes three sites: Alpha (formerly I-II) and Beta (formerly III-IV), as well as Gamma (formerly V-VI), which is expected to be tendered in 2025. The Netherlands aims to have 21 GW of offshore wind farms around 2030.
According to the announcement Eneco and Equinor are in a strong position to contribute to the Netherlands’ decarbonisation targets, with the tie-up combining Eneco’s presence in the Netherlands and Equinor’s scale in Europe and beyond.
Eneco wants to further grow its offshore wind portfolio, which includes the Hollandse Kust (west) VI, Hollandse Kust (noord) V, Borssele III and IV projects in the Netherlands and Norther in Belgium.
This week the utility also hailed first power at the 759-MW Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind project in the Dutch part of the North Sea, which it is building in partnership with Shell.
