Dutch consortium Pondera Consult and Arcadis says they have been awarded a contract by TenneT to provide an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the first offshore grid connection in the Netherlands.
TenneT TSO is responsible in the Netherlands for the connection of offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The Wind Borssele area will be the first area to be developed, following a recent decision by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The EIA will cover two, 700MW offshore platforms to serve for four wind energy areas in the Borssele area. There will also be two 220 kV power lines to shore and a connection to the onshore power grid.
Under a new Energy Bill proposed by the Dutch parliament, those holding offshore wind licenses in the Borssele area will have to apply for new licenses.
The first tender, for 700MW in the Borssele area, is expected to be published in Autumn 2015. The bill is expected to enter into force on July 1 2015.
"The development of alternative energy sources is important to make the Netherlands less dependent on fossil fuels and thus contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions of our country," said general manager Gert Crown Arcadis. "With our extensive combined knowledge of environmental regulations and extensive experience in handling large-scale EIA processes, we expect to add value for TenneT in this process."