RWE and TotalEnergies choose Eemshaven for major North Sea wind project
The project is scheduled to generate over three terawatt-hours annually and will provide clean energy to more than a million Dutch households.
Published on December 15, 2024
Wind Turbines on the North Sea, AI-generated image
RWE and TotalEnergies have announced Eemshaven as the base for their ambitious OranjeWind offshore wind project in the Dutch North Sea. The project will start with construction activities at sea in early 2026, followed by turbine installation in 2027. This venture will utilize 35-40 hectares, enough to cover 55 football fields, demonstrating the scale of this green initiative. It is scheduled to generate over three terawatt-hours annually and will provide clean energy to more than a million Dutch households.
Eemshaven's Buss Terminal will serve as the staging area, reflecting its strategic importance for efficient logistics. Vestas will supply the turbines, each boasting a 15 MW capacity. With completion expected by the end of 2027, this project marks a significant step towards RWE's goal of tripling its offshore wind capacity by 2030 and TotalEnergies' commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.
Strategic Port Selection and Project Scale
The selection of Eemshaven port in Groningen marks a crucial strategic decision for the OranjeWind project. Located 278 kilometers from the offshore site, Buss Terminal Eemshaven will be the primary hub for turbine assembly and construction activities. The facility will manage the offloading, storage, handling, and pre-assembling of major turbine components and inter-array cabling. The project's scale is substantial, requiring a marshaling area of 35-40 hectares, with Buss Terminal Eemshaven simultaneously supporting both OranjeWind and RWE's Nordseecluster B projects.
The OranjeWind project will deploy 53 Vestas turbines, each with a significant capacity of 15 MW. The installation involves multiple specialized contractors: Sif will manufacture monopile foundations and secondary steel components, while Jan De Nul Group will oversee the transportation and installation of foundations and turbines. DEME has been assigned to transport and install inter-array cables and secondary steel components, with TKF supplying the inter-array cables themselves. The monopile foundations will be transported directly from Sif's production facility at the Port of Rotterdam to the offshore installation site.