The Netherlands: Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm increases Dutch offshore wind power by 56%

A traditional Japanese Kagami Biraki ceremony was held today to celebrate the fact that the Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm has now been put into operation by joint owners, Mitsubishi Corporation and Eneco. The wind farm encompasses 43 wind turbines and is located 23 kilometres off the coast of Zandvoort and Noordwijk. Luchterduinen has a capacity of 129 megawatts, which means it will supply sufficient renewable energy to power 150,000 households. The total investment amounted to 450 million euros.

The permit for the construction of the wind farm was applied for in 2008. Since then, some 2 million man-hours have been spent on its design and installation. An estimated 560 employees of Mitsubishi Corporation, Eneco, Ecofys, Van Oord, Vestas, Joulz, TenneT and several consultancy firms have been involved in the project. At sea, 50 different vessels were used, including Van Oord’s transport and installation vessel, Aeolus; cable installation, rock-dumping and towing vessels; and the crane vessel, Rambiz. Due to the smooth progress of the work, the wind farm was completed within budget and three months before the planned completion date.

The two other wind farms in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee (Nuon/Shell, 108 megawatts) and Princess Amalia Wind Farm (Eneco, 120 megawatts), were completed in 2008. The addition of Eneco Luchterduinen’s forty three 3 megawatt wind turbines increases Dutch offshore wind power capacity by 129 megawatts or 56%. In terms of the total wind power capacity in the Netherlands, which also includes all onshore wind turbines, the increase as a result of the completion of the Eneco Luchterduinen wind farm amounts to more than 5%.