Dutch Senate approves offshore grid plan

The Dutch Senate has recently confirmed TenneT, the national electricity transmission system operator of the Netherlands and in large part of Germany, as the developer and operator of the Dutch offshore grid.

The Senate has approved the amendment of the Electricity Act in connection with the development of offshore wind energy, providing the required legal basis.

In late December 2015, the Senate had rejected the so-called STROOM bill, which caused a delay in the legislative decision-making process and jeopardized the timely completion of the grid connections for the first offshore wind farms, which are to be constructed off the Dutch coast near Borssele.

Despite the political uncertainty, TenneT proceeded according to plan with the necessary preparations, including submitting permit applications and finalizing the technical designs for the offshore platforms that have now received green light.

In 2015, TenneT realized 3,750 MW of connection capacity for offshore wind farms (converter platforms and cable systems) in the German sector of the North Sea. 

With the newly Senate approval, in the coming years, TenneT will build five identical platforms with a total capacity of 3,500 MW to transport the wind energy from the offshore Dutch sector of the North Sea to the onshore grid.

Mel Kroon, TenneT CEO, commented:

“We are very pleased with the Senate’s decision, which avoids any risk of delays right at the start of the tendering process. The adoption of this amendment to the Electricity Act means that TenneT can now apply the knowledge and expertise gained in Germany in connecting OWFs to the onshore grid, and use it to contribute to the energy transition in the Netherlands. Finalising the design for the offshore platforms required to connect the planned OWFs to the onshore grid is an important step in this process.”