Noordzeker, an initiative of pension fund ABP, pension investor APG and wind farm developer SSE Renewables, has been awarded the contract to build a new wind farm in the North Sea with a capacity of approximately 2 GW, enough to green about 8% of the current Dutch electricity demand. The wind farm to be built is located 62 kilometres off the Dutch coast near IJmuiden. The award of the new wind farm concerns the IJmuiden Ver Alpha tender. In this tender, the emphasis is on the ecology of the park to be built. Noordzeker's goal is to supply large-scale sustainable energy at an attractive price, with a minimal ecological footprint and a positive effect on biodiversity.

To achieve these objectives, Noordzeker will work closely with Naturalis Biodiversity Center both during the construction and operational phases of the wind farm. Together with Naturalis, research and monitoring will be conducted at the wind farm to determine how wind farms can best help combat climate change and contribute to biodiversity in the North Sea. Noordzeker will also introduce a range of other measures, such as artificial reefs, shutting down wind turbines during periods of high bird activity, and removing marine litter. In this latter program, autonomous vessels will collect litter to clean the habitat of seabirds and other marine life. 

Harmen van Wijnen, Chair ABP:
“With Noordzeker, we have the ambition to operate a large wind farm in the North Sea. Together with Naturalis, we want to raise the ecological bar for the development, construction, and management of wind farms in the North Sea. This will ensure a good financial return for our pension participants and affordable, clean energy for the Netherlands, for the benefit of people and planet. We look forward to taking the next steps.”

KeyFacts Energy: Renewable Energy news